A large family of elephants headed south out of Carroll County last week, bound for their Kalahari home. They traveled with a small herd of zebra, a Cape buffalo, and a pair of rhinoceros.
The migration marked the end of more than 18 months of work by artist Andy Kautza. He has crafted life-size replicas of animals, which will become part of the scenery at a new indoor waterpark near Austin, Texas. Andy’s creations will appear at Kalahari Resorts.
He has worked on similar installations in the past, and has become adept at injecting life into metal and masonry. Each animal begins with a framework of steel reinforcing rods, followed by metal mesh to create the shapes. Layers of concrete, embedded with fiberglass, provide a surprisingly detailed product, with careful attention to each wrinkle.
The drivers anticipated a lot of attention on the trip south. On loading day, four flatbed tractor/trailers negotiated a narrow gravel road, and the biggest elephant stands almost 12 ft. tall and weighs five tons, a weight similar to a living elephant. The trucks pulled out with 12 elephants, seven zebra, two rhinos, and a particularly intimidating Cape buffalo.
Andy will ride with the animals to finish the installation. After a year-and-a-half of effort, and several months of delay, Andy seemed energized as he supervised the loading. He will also create a grotto on the site. More information about the chain of parks is available at kalahariresorts.com.
Andy, who lives in Eureka Springs, found the perfect spot to work. Laura O’Rourke lives on a dead-end county road just east of the Kings River, and had a large shed available. As the animals took shape, Laura could watch their personalities emerge. “I would often come out and have my morning coffee saying ‘good morning’ to the elephants,” she said.
Laura admitted to some mixed feelings while watching the trucks load. Some of the elephants had spent more than a year with her, and the artistry behind them makes them very lifelike. On the other hand, she said, “I’m ready to get back to quiet!”