The Elephant Project IWT London 2018

Conservationist, elephant defender and anti-poaching champion Wayne Lotter was shot dead in August of 2018.

Wayne Lotter had dedicated his life to preserve wildlife habitats, to expanding ground forces through the training of rangers, and to collectively clamp down hard on the crime rings.  His life had been cut short by the forces he opposed.  The impact of his life and of the foundation (PAMS) foundation continue to have a ripple effect across Africa, empowering thousands to join the cause.

Every day rangers plod onward, in defense of all those with whom we share this earth.  Every week yet another ranger is lost.  They are not forgotten.   

The Elephant Project, is a work not only in response to the tens of thousands of elephants lost yearly but also in dedication to all those who dedicate their lives to their defense,  to all those we have lost, and to all those who bravely pick up the torch they left behind. The Elephant Project is born of the tender balance, the unique and fragile dependency, and the gentle trust between elephant and human kind.

In 2018 The Elephant Project was temporarily exhibited at London's Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference. Standing at 4 meters tall, the piece creates a strong emotional appeal to re-connect the human-animal bond on a global scale. But it is also a work which changes from a call to tenderness to a work drenched in a sense of mourning and loss.

For nine days, it dealt with the tender balance and understanding we must aim for with wildlife and with the acceptance of the responsibility that comes with it. Then, on the last day, with its removal, we were confronted with the reality of its absence and the sense of loss. Our hope is that others too might be moved to help combat the horrific loss of wildlife occurring daily, and that this emotional appeal will lead to decisive action.