In the 1930’s it is estimated that there were 7-10 million elephants alive worldwide. Today that number is considerably smaller and declining rapidly.
PLEASE contribute origami elephants
to raise awareness of the endangered status of elephants worldwide!
The Zoological Society of London and Whipsnade Zoo are attempting to break the World Record for the most number of origami elephants displayed in one place to raise awareness of the endangered status of elephants worldwide. The goal is to assemble 30,000 origami elephants, one for each Asian elephant still alive, and are looking for people to help fold these origami elephants.
Your ORIGAMI ELEPHANT contribution MUST be received BEFORE September 20, 2014.
Your model may be 2D, 3D, simple, complex, big, or small. Whatever model you choose to fold should be instantly recognizable as an elephant.
Here is a video of the an origami elephant created by Fumiaki Kawahata.
Make one, five, ten, one hundred or one thousand origami elephants!
Whatever the number, what matters is that you contribute!
The elephants that are created will become part of a permanent exhibit at the zoo. Please participate and spread the word. You will have fun supporting this worthy cause and your contribution will be greatly appreciated, especially by the elephants.
Origami elephants can be brought to the zoo on September 20, 2014
or sent by mail BEFORE this date to:
Origami Elephant World Record Attempt
Jordan Christmas
ZSL Whipsnade Zoo,
Whipsnade, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU6 2LF
United Kingdom
Please include your name, address and email and the Whipsnade Zoo will add it to their contributors webpage.
33764!!!
http://www.zsl.org/zsl-whipsnade-zoo/news/update-elephant-world-record-trampled
Hello Leyla,
Our small origami group here in Adelaide, South Australia sent off 44 elephants of various designs a couple of weeks ago. We received an acknowledgement from Jordan Christmas which was very nice.
I hope that they achieved the goal of 30,000 elephants.
With regards
Barbara Radcliffe
Hi Barbara, I hope they did achieve their goal too! but in any case, what’s important is having participated and raising awareness about the status of the elephants. Thank you for writing!
Hello Leyla, I am writing from the Sydney Origami Club in Australia. We only just heard about this project this week so we won’t make it in time before the 20th September cut-off date. Is it possible for photos to be accepted? Or have an extension of the date? It’s such a great cause! Thanks.
Hi Edric, since I’m not the organizer of the event, I cannot answer your questions accurately. I’ll respond to you privately with a contact name and email.
But even if you cannot make it this time, spreading the word, talking about this cause and showing your photos WILL raise awareness about the endangered situation of the elephants. Thank you for writing. I love your enthusiasm!
Thank you Leyla. I have posted this on our club’s Facebook page.
What a lovely surprise to see my folded Elephants here, thank youiLeyla for uploading them ;o)
Hello Leyla,
My Elephants are on their way to England.
What a wonderfull challenge, I hope they reach more than 30.000 folded Elephants.
Thank you for sending the info I have sent it to others tooo.
Hi Carla, thank you for participating and for writing here. The photo of your elephants is below.
Yours has been qualified “sculpture” among the other models. I must tell you that I struggled with many diagrams and your video was a sweet dream after nightmares.
Hi Kris, I’m very glad you had success in following my video. Thank you for writing!
Thank you so much, Leyla, for spreading the news. This kind of event is what gets me folding. I found 10 different models in my books and planned to mail the most recognizable Friday.
Great Kris!! Thank you for writing!
This is awesome… Leyla I wanted to know how many you made and we should do this for giant pandas because they are going down in number also and one more thing, I have a suggestion… can you please make an origami panda please. That would be terrific.
Thank you, Caleb
Hi Caleb,
I made five elephants and a post inviting everyone to join in and make them. I would have liked to have made more, but didn’t have the time. I figured that at this point what is most important is not a large amount of elephants made by one person, but many, many, many people participating with at least one.
I’ll keep in mind your suggestion about the Panda. Thank you!
Marvelous Idea, Leyla,
I will participate in your Lovely Event with a GREAT pleasure, hoping I can help the Elephants cause.
This is one of my favourite models, Leyla…
Best regards
Helena
Thank you Helena. I cannot take credit as the originator of this event. I’m only spreading the news and inviting people because I think it’s a wonderful cause!
Dear Leyla, I already made 21 éléphants of your 3D model this morning, and wish to make others models too. However, I am wondering if I have to send all the 3 D éléphants I wil make in a box because they are 3D? Will they be able to put them 3D if I send them flat?I can guess that it is quite expensive to send a box in UK from Canada…but if I have to do so, I will!
Thank you, for your great work!
Claire
P.S.I have never been able to get in touch with Mr Soon Young Lee (from Korea) to make the “kissing lips” for my fundraising! I will have to change my “origami Kissing lips project” for something else! I will start this month to make origami with a group of women in order to break their loneliness. I’m sure they would be pleased to do origami to make a project of funraising!
Hi Claire,
The elephants can be sent flat. That’s how I sent mine, inside a regular envelope.
It’s not difficult to figure out how to make them 3D once they receive them.
. . . .
If I find out about Mr Soon Young Lee, I would let you know.
It will be my pleasure to send them some elephants.
What is the email address of the zoo?
is it counting if I only send photos by e-mail?
The email of the Zoo is Info. My guess is that photos don’t count ;-)
I would like to be part of it too. I like this idea!
Consider it DONE!
Thank you Rita!
Dear Leyla,
I like this idea. Thanks for informing me. I will send a few elephants to England.
Claudia
Thank you Claudia