Background

Friends of the Asian Elephants (www.elephant-soraida.com) is an organization run by Miss Soraida Salwala, was founded in 1993 and runs the first elephant hospital in the world. Located in Lampang, Soraida’s mission is to help and cure elephants which are injured or suffering from disease and illness. At the hospital they receive professional and dignified treatment. 
Marc Spits, who together with his son Mike initiated Elephant Parade, met Miss Salwala in 2004 and found that Friends of the Asian Elephants needed more funds to carry on its campaign for the dignity and survival of Asian elephants.

The Asian elephant needs urgent attention and support. At the turn of the last century there were an estimated 300,000 elephants living in Thailand. By 1960 this figure had dropped to about 40,000. Today, a mere 1,500 elephants live in the wild, with about 3,000 more kept in captivity. Worldwide there remain between 40,000 and 50,000 Asian elephants, of which 16,000 live in captivity. If we don’t act now, the Asian elephant may soon become extinct.

Elephant Parade events around the world

The first Elephant Parade was organised in Rotterdam, the Netherlands between 1st September and 17th November 2007.  Both financially and in terms of publicity the event was a tremendous success.  A survey showed that the Elephant Parade elephants, which were spread all over town, were the most photographed objects ever in the city of Rotterdam.

During 2008 and 2009 Parades will be organized in Belgium, France and Thailand. Please go to country flag for specific information on these forthcoming Elephant Parade events.

Why Elephant Parade?

The Elephant Parade concept appeals to the public imagination in many ways. Elephants are perceived as ‘cuddly’ and sympathetic animals; most people genuinely like real elephants. The Elephant Parade baby elephants are that much more appealing and provoke an even warmer response; they can be amusing, eye-catching, newsworthy, ’cool’, odd and sometimes even shocking. They are modern art in a very friendly and accessible medium, thus generating awareness and support for this endangered  species.

What can Elephant Parade sponsorship do for your business?

First and foremost, by ‘adopting’ an Elephant Parade baby elephant you or your company will be providing the means to save  many elephants through organizations such as Friends of the Asian Elephant. In addition, your message will be presented in a totally different way.  Positioned in strategic locations in the Elephant Parade city, the elephant models are immediately striking, eye-catching, and memorable, and have genuine ‘stopping power’. As an added extra we can make miniature limited edition replicas of your elephant(s).

PR and marketing support

For each Elephant Parade event a booklet is produced with details of the event: the parade route, the elephants and their themes, the artists and the elephant locations in the city, with specific mention of the sponsors and information on their elephants. The aim is to integrate the message of the artist with the sponsor’s message.

Auction

The  elephants created for Elephant Parade events will be auctioned by professional auctioneers in each city where an  event takes place. Each elephant is a unique piece of art and will not be produced ever again as a full-size baby elephant. a substantial part of the auction proceeds will be used to fund Asian elephant organizations such as Friends of the Asian Elephant, which support the cause of Asian elephant preservation.