Bronx Zoo Breaks Guinness World Record For Largest Display Of Origami Elephants
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The Bronx Zoo has broken the Guinness World Record for largest display of origami elephants.
The zoo took the title from ZSL Whipsnade Zoo in Great Britain, which set the record in 2014 after displaying 33,764 origami elephants.
The new world record is 78,564. It was set Thursday on Guinness World Records Day.
It was all part of the Wildlife Conservation Society's 96 Elephants campaign, which raises awareness of elephant poaching in Africa.
"We're just trying to raise awareness of this crisis and that we all need to be working together to save elephants," Bronx Zoo spokesman John Calvelli told WCBS 880. "Ninety-six a day are being killed, that works out to 35,000 a year."
The display features the work of Talo Kawasaki, the artist behind the origami holiday tree at the Museum of Natural History.
The origami elephants were sent from all 50 states, 40 countries, and 45 zoos and aquariums.
"When we all can come together as a people to say, 'We want to help save the natural world' then that gives me hope for the future and when I walk around here, that's what I feel," Calvelli said.
Many of the origami elephants will be part of a holiday display at the zoo next month.
