USA: New York's Bronx Zoo puts an array of life-like LEGO animals on display

Record ID: 860757

  • Title: USA: New York's Bronx Zoo puts an array of life-like LEGO animals on display
  • Date: 9th July 2012
  • Summary: SLATE INFORMATION
  • Embargoed: 24th July 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Environment,Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA566SR5YXY1CKNIUNQD8WQIMTS
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Animals made out of LEGO bricks came to life at the Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo in New York on Monday (July 9).
    The professionally built sculptures include various species of wildlife showcased along a wooden path that the zoo calls the "LEGO Safari."
    A total of ten species are featured in including a life-like zebra and a tiger.
    The zebra sculpture is made of 37,000 bricks and took builders 370 hours to make. The tiger consumed 33,000 LEGO bricks and 300 hours.
    The sculptures are accompanied by a sign that explains the challenges faced by the animal species such as habitat loss and pollution.
    The goal of the safari is to educate young visitors, such as 10-year-old Jonathan Morales who was impressed with the LEGO animals.
    "It was really cool and it must have took a lot of effort to make those and I wonder what real tigers think of them," Morales said.
    Some species are strategically placed right next to their real-life counterpart, such as the white rhinoceros.
    While the zoo is a place to see live animals, Teal (pronounced T-a-a-l) Rodkey said that he preferred the LEGO animals because of the human labor involved.
    "No one makes the animals. The animals are just wild," Rodkey said.
    The safari also includes a gorilla, a giraffe, lemurs, hornbills and flamingos - that each took between 25 and 350 hours to make.
    Frank Dacosta said that he was amazed by the number of bricks used in each sculpture.
    "I saw some of them had thousands of LEGO blocks and I wish I had thousands when I was a kid," he said.
    While the color, pattern and even the postures of the LEGO animals were close to their real-life counterparts, Luis Cortes, said that he didn't think the exhibit it had much added value for the zoo.
    "It's just something else to look at," he said.
    The Bronx Zoo is one of the largest metropolitan zoos in the world and house over 4000 animals and 600 species, many of which are endangered or threatened.
    The LEGO Safari exhibit will run until September 3.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register