Take a walk on the wild side

Yarra’s Edge is now home to 20 baby animal statues in an effort to help raise awareness for vulnerable endangered species.

A three-metre-high eastern lowland gorilla will also be hard to miss, as it serves its purpose to represent itself as a mother and protector of all the babies.

The Wild About Babies interactive animal conservation exhibition is the result of a partnership with developer Mirvac and internationally renowned artists, Gillie and Marc.

“Over the years we’ve travelled all over the world studying animals. These babies are the products of the many photographs and sketches we’ve taken,” Gillie said.

“We’ve tried to make them as life-like as possible so that once people see these animals they will fall in love and be inspired to take action to save them.”

While encouraging visitors to Docklands the aim of the exhibition serves to educate and be a voice for the endangered animals.

Each animal’s plaque will have a QR code where more can be learnt about the specific animal while also providing people with the opportunity to make direct donations to WWF-Australia, an organisation focused on helping to protect endangered species.

A naming competition has also been launched and upon winning the chosen name for their favourite animal and having it engraved on the baby’s plaque, the winners will receive a Gillie and Marc print valued at $849.

An additional $100 will also be donated to WWF-Australia from Mirvac and attributed to the winners’ names.

“At Mirvac, we have been reimagining urban life for 50 years, focusing on initiatives that will have a positive impact for future generations and creating opportunities for the community to come together,” Mirvac general manager for Residential Victoria Elysa Anderson said.

Development Victoria’s group head precincts Geoff Ward said, “We’re pleased to support Mirvac and the internationally-renowned artists Gilles and Marc showcase this exhibition along Yarra’s Edge.”

“Activations such as the Wild About Babies exhibit helps to showcase the best of what Docklands has to offer and encourages people to visit Yarra’s Edge – supporting local businesses and helping Victorians understand how they can help support animal conservation protect our precious wildlife.”

From the giant tortoise to the Sumatran orangutan, Indian elephant and cheetah, find out exactly how humans have unfortunately impacted their endangered status and help be part of the change.

The exhibition was unveiled at Yarra’s Edge on May 20, a date that coincided with National Endangered Species Day, and will be in place for the next six months. •

For more information: yarrasedge.mirvac.com