Tourists and locals were left scratching their chins when this mixed bunch showed up in Edinburgh.

The flock of jungle animals appeared at the bottom of The Mound on Tuesday, to the confusion of passers-by.

A multicoloured elephant, orang-utan, crocodile and two big cats were part of Jungle City, a fundraising and awareness campaign aimed to highlight some of the world’s most endangered species.

Organised by Asian elephant conservation charity The Elephant Family, the outdoor art exhibition of jungle animal sculptures will officially launch in Edinburgh this August, though tasters have been appearing around the city since artwork was unveiled in April.

The charity hopes to raise £1m with the exhibition, which will run until the end of September, featuring 120 sculptures in various locations around the city before being auctioned off.

Designed by various artists including Jack Vettriano and Emma Bridgewater, the wild creations and their cause have attracted support from various figures, including the Prince of Wales, Celtic captain Scott Brown and former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell.

Funds raised by Jungle City will help to save the habitat of the endangered Asian elephant and other animals who share their habitat.

Other conservation charities that will benefit from the sale of sculptures will be The Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh, Care for the Wild International, the Orang-utan Foundation, the Sumatran Orang-utan Society, TRAFFIC International and WWF Scotland.

Animals will be installed in Edinburgh’s streets, parks and gardens on September 6 and will be sold in a grand auction at the National Museum of Scotland on September 29.

Mark Shand, founder of Elephant Family, said: “We have a dream to turn Edinburgh into a jungle, to fill it to the brim with iconic animals and replace the sounds of the city with birdsong and monkey chatter.

“Park benches, fountains, pavements and traffic lights will become perches, watering holes, hunting and grazing grounds”

IN DETAIL

• Have a look at our photographs.

• Visit Elephant Family’s website.