Three art trail animals damaged in opening weekend

A charity said it was having to take three of its animal sculptures off display after they were damaged in the opening weekend of an art trail.

About 50 sculptures, including gorillas, rhinos, giraffes, lions and elephants have been placed across Norwich and beyond.

The charity behind GoGoSafari, Break, said the damage had been minor, but repairs were necessary so the sculptures could go to auction later.

Break, which supports young people across the East of England, said repairs would cost a minimum of £500 for each statue but all would go back on display.

Break works with children and young people who are either in care or have left care, providing opportunities to help them on their journey to independence.

In a post on social media, the charity expressed its upset at the damaged sculptures.

"A tremendous amount of work goes into each one by the artists and all involved," it said.

It said Savannah Moon and Bobo had been taken away for repair, while One Small Step would be temporarily removed shortly.

The charity added that the money spent removing and repairing multiple sculptures put a "strain on resources", and it would "rather see it go towards the charity's life-changing work".

Since 2013, sculptures of gorillas, hares, dinosaurs, and cows have appeared across Norfolk and Cambridgeshire.

Local artists were involved in designing this year's models, with businesses supporting the event.

In 2022, the charity auctioned off 60 dinosaur and mammoth sculptures, which had been placed across Norfolk, and raised £427,000.

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