Ruth Ganesh laughs at the chance connect her work with elephants has with her surname, of the Hindu Elephant God, which she got through marriage. It nicely sums up the Briton’s love for the pachyderm.
As principal trustee of the Elephant Family (EF), a UK-based NGO supported by Prince Charles, the conservationist is known more for her creative skills at raising funds. The collections power ‘Save the Asian Elephant’ projects.
Ruth has been behind thrilling large-scale outdoor exhibitions, of elephant installations since 2006, which has grown bigger and stronger in successive shows. In 2010 she covered parks, gardens and streets of London with 270 elephants made in grass, topiary and willow bringing delight and awareness among people about issues relating to the species. All the elephants from the exhibition were sold with the NGO raising £5 million. She is in India for the launch of the latest exhibition ‘The CoExist Project’, as part of which a herd of 100 Lantana elephants will journey from Kochi to the United Kingdom. The first 30 exhibits will be at Fort Kochi beach through February. In June, around 50 will be showcased in a soft launch at the back gardens of Prince Charles’ Clarence House.
“The elephant is a curious animal. Most people relate simply to its size, its curious shape and there is a sense of wonder. I thought if we can bring an elephant as lifelike as possible to the west then we have hit a jackpot,” says Ruth adding that appealing to the inner child in a person was far more rewarding than telling them about ecological aspects to create awareness.
Therefore Ruth’s winning strategy has been playing on the fun and creative side of a serious issue to garner attention and enable funding.
Coming from a family that was steeped in orthodox Christianity and was close to Nature, she began her work with charities as a 25-year-old. Her life changed when she met charismatic conservationist and traveller Mark Shand, who Ruth says, “believed in young people.” He encouraged her to realise her out-of-the-box ideas, one of which was creating herds of life size elephants and displaying them publicly.
In the first run, in 2006, Ruth organised topiary artists, welders and oversaw the making of the first herd of three grass elephants in a cowshed in Ireland. In 2008, 15 elephants in topiary and, in 2010, a herd made in willow were displayed at Hyde Park.
“I remember the reactions of people especially of children. It was very emotive.”
The bi-annual Animal Ball, one of London’s biggest charity campaigns, is another of her fun and high profile star-studded events.
This brings together the world’s “good and the great”, best known fashion houses, celebrities and who’s who’s to meet and donate to a cause.
“There are so many charity dinners and the competition for money is intense. When we began going to institutionalised sources we found they were already taken, so we invented a new way to make money. Our motto is excite the mind and the funding will follow.” Thus came about Animal Ball where a dinner at London’s top hotels and private homes comes at a whopping £2000. Celebrities come, as in one event, wearing couture masks made by top international designers. A few years ago Ruth brought on board leading Indian designer Sabyasachi. Other big names from India, Varun Bahl and Rohit Bal are expected to join in along with some others.
In February 2018, an Elephant Parade of fibre glass jumbos, in Mumbai, and prior to that the Fabergé Egg Hunt were some other of Ruth’s whimsical dos that galvanised people to donate generously.
Tapping the sensitivity of different societies, Ruth has added digital technology to bring in an extreme and thrilling edge to these activities. When the CoExistProject moves to USA, in 2021, it will travel to different cities on Indian-style trucks, also tentatively highlighting the female aspect of the world’s largest land mammal. Ruth repeatedly brings in Indian elements to connect with the cause, using rickshaws, the Ambassador car and Mahindra Jeep as convoys. She herself rides a Royal Enfield.
“There seems to be no end to Indian curiosities and adventure. We try and do a trend every time,” she says.
But behind all the fun and excitement she holds the cause very close to her heart.
“The Asian Elephant is more endangered than the African elephant. It is absolutely neglected.
The idea behind CoExist... was born out of an overwhelming desire to do the biggest PR job for the greatest icons of wildlife.
The elephant is the ultimate adventure with meaning. When the elephant enters your life it is never the same.”