The New Year kicked off in style with a massive elephant ice sculpture that was unveiled to a crowd of 5000 partygoers at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. Dubbed Cool Ama-Ellie, the sculpture was commissioned by Amarula and produced by Ice Art’s Matt Smyth. The ice artist worked from an image, taking two days to carve the elephant from 16 ice blocks weighing 150kg each. Before the sculpture was transported to Kirstenbosch, it had to be dismantled into three sections. The ice sculpture was then reassembled on site by a team of eight people.

Ice Sculptures and Live Music at Kirstenbosch Gardens

The life-like ice elephant was one of the many highlights of Kirstenbosch Gardens’ New Years Eve concert, which saw revellers dance the night away to Prime Circle and other acts such as Elvis Blue. Measuring 2.6 metres, the elephant ice sculpture was still standing in the early hours of New Year’s Day – a full 12 hours after its installation, says Ice Art director James Cussen.

But this special elephant was more than just a centrepiece. Elephants hold a very special place in Amarula’s heart, and these gentle giants are also the focus of a research project that deals with elephant conservation strategies in Southern African game reserves. Over the past decade, Amarula has been funding the Amarula Elephant Research Project, managed by Prof. Rob Slotow of the KwaZulu-Natal University. This project is internationally recognised for its work to highlight the behaviour of the African elephant, attracting notable international and local researchers.

Ice Art is proud to have been part of the New Year’s Eve festivities, as well as the greater message of conservation that the Amarula elephant ice sculpture brought to public awareness.