Chandrika
Unique elephant casts created with the cooperation of our live model, and kind permission from Woburn Safari Park.
‘“But what is it?” were the words I overheard a young blind girl say to their mother, whilst I was sketching Wendy, the elephant, at Bristol zoo back in 1998; sparking the idea for an artistic project that would give me some of the most incredible experiences of my career.”
This was how ‘The Endangered Species Collection’ was started - from that chance interaction, which made me realise that visually impaired people were shut off from experiencing nature in the ways others take for granted. A trip to the zoo would be full of interesting sounds and smells and with the help of a loving companion, perhaps vivid descriptions. But without sight, how would one get to understand what an elephant or tiger is really like?
This is when André Masters became determined to create a collection of lifecasts from exotic animals to help bring the wilder side of the natural world to those who could not see it, using instead their sense of touch. He also cast domestic cat and dog paws so that an easy size comparison could be made between the sizes and structure of say, a pet tabby cat and an adult lion, bringing a sense of scale and wonder to those who might otherwise miss out.
The very first casts made for The Endangered Species Collection were of a juvenile elephant called Chandrika (meaning ‘Moonlight’), who had recently been rehomed to Woburn Safari Park, England, after having been rescued from an Indian zoo where she had been mistreated and beaten by her previous keepers, leaving part of her skin covered in thick scar tissue. She was only five years old at the time of her rescue and despite her traumatic early years was very comfortable with humans, playful in nature and settled well into her new and safe home in England.
Although many of the casts André created for the collection happen when an animal is being anaesthetised for medical or dental work, Woburn assured André that it would be safer for André to cast Chandrika while she was awake and consenting. Elephants are incredibly intelligent and easily learn vocal requests such as ‘lay down’, ‘roll over’, ‘leg up’ etc, much like big dogs. Chandrika became a very willing and capable model that we would come back to over the years.
André wanted his collection of animal casts to be displayed in zoos and safari parks and museums, as well as schools for The Blind, to give as many people as possible hands-on access to the incredible textures of these beautiful objects.
Being a self-funded project, André started to use the moulds he had made to create beautiful animal themed sculptures in semi-precious metals to sell privately to raise the money to continue his dream. If you or anyone you know is an animal lover, please get in touch to discuss your ideas or ours in creating something truly unique for you, with all monies going towards the continuation of this incredibly special collection.
André and CJ return to Woburn in 2013 to do more casts of Chandrika as an adult elephant.
In 2012, CJ was absolutely thrilled to be invited to assist André in doing further casts of a now adult Chandrika at Woburn Safari Park to expand the Endangered Species Collection.
They say ‘an elephant never forgets’ and on seeing André after 14 years, Chandrika charged towards him (he did so well to hold his nerve), and on reaching him, she immediately went into his back pocket with her trunk, as if searching for more of the delicious mints she’d found the first time he’d cast her.
Repeatedly during the encounter she kept holding her trunk up directly above his head, whilst her keeper, Lynne, told Chandrika, ‘Don’t be rude!’ André asked what this repeated action meant, and Lynne suggested, ‘She’s showing you that she’s bigger than you now!’
Chandrika was indeed magnificent in size, and clearly very happy at the zoo with Damini, the other female elephant and Raja, the male, (both who can be seen in the background of our casting video very curious about what Chandrika is getting up to and jealous as to why she’s getting more apples than they are).
Chandrika’s incredible intelligence and patient cooperation made her easier to cast than many humans. She understood even more words and phrases than when André first met her, and seemed to enjoy getting to do something different from her usual day to day activities. Her keepers assured us that if at any time she didn’t want to take part she would have just got up and walked away.
She was so calm and well-behaved during the process that we were able to cast a much larger section of her flank this time, along with both a front and back foot cast, and we had the bonus opportunities to cast a very rare elephant tooth which one of the elephants had lost that week and even an elephant poo (which we figured would make a glorious teaching aid for children as well as the most unusual bronze door stop for someone with a love of elephants and sense of humour).
Chandrika on the move…
One of the bronze casts of Chandrika’s skin can be seen and touched as part of a permanent display at the WWF’s Living Planet Centre in Woking. The launching of which was opened by British cultural icon, and famed naturalist, Sir David Attenborough.
More recently, Masters & Munn have just completed the creation of the largest of all the casts of Chandrika, a section of her flank cast in iron, for the 2025 ‘Weird and Wonderful’, sculpture trail at Leeds Castle, where we are guest artists for the third year in a row.
Adults and children alike can see and touch this gorgeous art work which has been formed around the curve of one of the living trees of the castle grounds, so that visitors can explore the contrasting textures of tree bark and elephant skin with their hands.
Many new and exciting elephant-themed objets d’art and sculpture and even jewellery are in the pipeline. Please sign up to our mailing list at the bottom of the page to hear about new additions to the Endangered Species Collection or get in touch if you’d like to commission some incredible animal-themed art of your very own.
Elephant skin textural sculpture, in cold cast iron by Masters & Munn for Leeds Castle.