Giant glowing bugs light up night at Belgian zoo

Record ID: 1700938

  • Title: Giant glowing bugs light up night at Belgian zoo
  • Date: 5th December 2022
  • Summary: MECHELEN, BELGIUM (DECEMBER 2, 2022) (REUTERS) GIANT CATERPILLAR LIT UP WITH LED LIGHTS WITH SIGN, READING (English): ‘BUGS’ / PEOPLE WALKING UNDER CATERPILLAR TO ENTER ZOO PLANTS AND INSECTS LIT UP / GIANT TARANTULA MOVING LEGS GIANT TARANTULA MOVING LEGS LITTLE GIRL POINTING GIANT CHAMELEON SURROUNDED BY BUTTERFLIES / CHILDREN PLAYING AND WATCHING CHILDREN WATCHING CHAMELEON TONGUE OF CHAMELEON MOVING / GIANT FLY VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING THROUGH LIGHT SHOW GIANT SPIDER DESCENDING SPIDER BEHIND WEB (SOUNDBITE) (Dutch) 21-YEAR-OLD STUDENT FROM VOSSELAAR, ROB GEUDENS, SAYING: “It is the first time that we have come to watch such a light show but I was pleasantly surprised because it brings light and warmth in what is, after all, a dark and cold period of time, the winter.” (SOUNDBITE) (Dutch) 36-YEAR-OLD LIVING IN ANTWERP, KARLIEN VEKEMANS, SAYING: “I must say that I find it really fun how my little daughter looks at all those bugs and at all those lights and it brings me so much joy to see how much she enjoys that and how fun it is and also that now, though it is super cold, nonetheless we can walk around with a glass (of champagne) and sit around a fire. That is just really fun to do.” PEOPLE WALKING PAST GIANT IGUANA HEAD OF GIANT IGUANA GIANT BEE IN BEEHIVE CHILD CLOSELY INSPECTING BEE BEES IN BEEHIVE GIANT FROG WITH TONGUE STICKING OUT AND BUGS GIANT FROG PEOPLE STANDING AROUND A FIRE HEAT FROM FIRE DEFORMING SPIDERWEB AND PLANTS (SOUNDBITE) (Dutch) 69-YEAR-OLD RETIRED MANAGER LIVING IN MECHELEN, LUC RUELENS, SAYING: “It's really, really worth the effort to come and watch. It really seems like an enchanted forest. Very nicely portrayed, the music makes it lovely. Really brilliant.” (SOUNDBITE) (English) MEDIA SPOKESPERSON FOR PLANCKENDAEL ZOO, AMANDA WIELEMANS, SAYING: “During COVID times we noticed that people, well, needed to be together that they needed those moments of bonding, of creating memories. And that’s what has drives us to, well, continue this light show because despite energy costs the joy it brings and the positive effects for the people, for the visitors, are just worth it.” PEOPLE WALKING THROUGH TREES WITH MANY LIT UP BUTTERFLIES IN THEM BUTTERFLIES AND COCCOON BUTTERFLIES / CHILD STANDING IN FRONT OF GIANT BUTTERFLY MANY BUTTERFLIES CHANGING COLOUR PEOPLE WALKING THROUGH LIGHT SHOW / WINGS OF BUTTERFLY AND WIND BLOWING THROUGH GRASS
  • Embargoed: 19th December 2022 12:00
  • Keywords: bugs light show lights zoo
  • Location: MECHELEN, BELGIUM
  • City: MECHELEN, BELGIUM
  • Country: Belgium
  • Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Europe
  • Reuters ID: LVA001451005122022RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Belgium's Planckendael Zoo was crawling with oversized glowing insects on Friday (December 2) as a winter light show "giant bugs and those that eat them" opened to the public.
    Following a successful first edition themed around dinosaurs, the zoo partnered up with artists from China Light to present iridescent butterflies, a buzzing beehive and a massive tarantula.
    Setting up the lightshow required more than 23,000 man-hours, the zoo said, and the 56 compositions contain 22,500 LED bulbs.
    To brave the cold, visitors can also enjoy a hot chocolate with and traditional “smoutebollen” pastries round the campfire.
    The exhibition runs until January 15, 2023.
    (Production: Christian Levaux, Jakob Van Calster)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2022. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register