IT is certainly the biggest reminder anyone would need that zebras are set to take over Southampton this summer.
Towering at just over five metres this huge sculpture has been installed at Marwell Zoo ahead of the official launch of the Zany Zebra trail which opens this coming weekend.
As the team at Marwell prepare to install 150 fibreglass zebra sculptures, they’ve also made way for a supersize wooden zebra sculpture, which is taking pride of place at Marwell Zoo for the duration of the trail.
Hundreds of people are set to line the city centre streets tomorrow, between 1pm and 2pm, to catch a look of some of the zebras that will make up the trail as they parade through Southampton.
The enormous zebra, tall enough to walk under, was transported from Winchcombe in Gloucestershire, to Marwell Zoo near Winchester.
The idea to have an enormous zebra sculpture came about when staff at Marwell stumbled across ‘Zaza’ the Zebra on Twitter.
Zaza is a five metre tall zebra sculpture, modelled on a plains zebra, commissioned by Winchcombe Reclamation yard to support the plight of the Grevy’s zebra and other at risk species.
The Gloucestershire business assigned Cornwall artist Dave Danson Hill to create the colossal structure.
When Marwell approached the team at Winchcombe to ask whether they could borrow Zaza for the duration of the trails, the reclamation yard went one better and offered to make an even bigger, bespoke Grevy’s version, to display at the zoo.
The zoo is also hosting a trail of 47 miniature replica Marwell’s Zany Zebra sculptures, running alongside the Southampton event. The giant zebra sculpture will go on sale for £10,000 at the Marwell’s Zany Zebras charity fundraising auction on October 18, with half of proceeds going to the charity’s Grevy’s conservation work.
Staff at Marwell have named the towering sculpture ‘Gulliver’, inspired by the statue’s own travels after it was transported on a 26 tonne crane lorry from Gloucestershire, to the Hampshire zoo.
Marwell’s Zany Zebras project manager Kirstie Mathieson said: “We are so excited now that the gigantic Grevy’s sculpture has finally arrived! Gulliver is a figurehead at the zoo and will complement our miniature trail perfectly.
“The staff at Winchcombe Reclamation yard have been so accommodating, as has the talented artist Dave Danson Hill, who is creating this eye-catching sculpture for us.
“Every week we’ll be offering guests the chance to win a cuddly toy zebra by posting their #giantzelfie on Facebook and Twitter.”
Marwell’s Zany Zebras runs from 16 July to 25 September in Southampton and at Marwell Zoo. There are 150 life-size and miniature Grevy’s zebras to find, highlighting their work with this endangered species in the wild.
For parade route map, see www.dailyecho.co.uk
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