Elephants invade London for art - 05/05/2010

From May until July 2010, over 250 brightly coloured life-size elephants will be located across central London as part of the city's largest outdoor art event.

As part of Elephant Parade 2010 different celebrities and artists will be designing and making an elephant to display in areas of the city, with an audience of around 25 million people expected to attend.

All the elephants are being sold at auction on July 3rd and it is hoped £2 million will be raised for the Asian elephant and 20 UK conservation charities.

Some of the artists and designers involved include: Helen Cowcher, Julien MacDonald, Matthew Williamson and Sir Paul Smith.

The parade is being run by Elephant Family, a charity dedicated to saving the Asian elephant from extinction in the wild. Some of the patrons include Sarah, Duchess of York and Goldie Hawn.

Actress Hawn is quoted on the website as saying: "Anyone who loves elephants and I do, will love elephant parade. It is not only the most beautiful, colourful and fun campaign, it also holds the key to saving the majestic species from extinction."