Families express frustration as two elephants damaged

Visitors have been urged to not use the “trunks as swings” after two elephants were left damaged.

The Herd In The City trail includes 46 large elephant sculptures and 72 baby elephants across the streets of Southend, Shoebury, and Leigh.

Over the weekend, trail organisers noticed the two elephants named Nelly and Waterline were “unstable” and had been damaged on Saturday.

As a result, they have had to be removed from the trail to be fixed – leaving residents and visitors extremely frustrated and angry.

Lyndsey-Marie Clarke, 32, from Rochford, has been visiting the elephants with her husband Howard, and son, Arthur.

With Nelly - Lyndsey-Marie Clarke with her husband Howard, and son, Arthur (Image: Newsquest)

She said: “It is very frustrating to see these beautiful elephants being damaged and so sad to hear that it is badly too.

“The last few weekends, we have had a wonderful time with our four-year-old son elephant hunting – we have enjoyed it so much as really precious family time together.

“It is so disheartening to hear that if any more get damaged they may also have to be taken off the trail too.

“You can tell how much time, effort, and love has been taken into creating these beautiful elephants so the least people can do is respect them.

“Just yesterday we were looking at the elephant in the Royals and two children were jumping all over it and hanging off its trunk.”

Kirsty Cooke, 46 from Rochford, added: “I was heartbroken to read that Nelly and Waterline have both been damaged.

Visit - Kirsty Cooke on the trail with Duke (Image: Newsquest)

“I had literally only taken photos of them a few days prior. I was hoping after the hares being damaged in 2021, people would have more respect for the elephants.”

In the previous Havens Hospices art trail, Hares About Town in 2021, a number of the hares were also trashed by vandals.

A spokesman for the Herd In The City said: “While we were out checking on the herd, we noticed a couple of our elephants, Nelly, and Waterline, were unstable.

“Unfortunately, they have had to be removed from the trail to be fixed.

“We are devastated that two of our beautiful elephants have had to leave temporarily but we hope to have them both back out on display very soon.

“We hope that everyone will continue to enjoy finding them. They are friendly creatures who like being hugged and having their photos taken.

“However, they do need to be treated with respect, and we would ask all of our trail-goers to be gentle and to refrain from climbing or swinging on them.”

The trail, which the Echo is a proud media sponsor for, will be in place until Monday, September 4.