Goodbye rhinos

Was it really back in sunny August that we stepped out on safari and followed the rhino trail around South Devon?  Well, believe it or not, the trail has ended already, with a crescendo of art, colour and horns adorning Paignton Zoo for one weekend only.  Here was a chance to see all our friends together again, and to catch up on some of the more outlandishly-located creatures that we missed the first time around.  Before that, however, here's a round-up of some of the rhinos we found since my last blog post.

Big Sweetie, an ingenious piece of art that incorporates everything sweet shop.  Foam shrimps, gummy bears, twister lollies, it's a trip down memory lane for the sugar fiend, and one of the funniest rhinos on the trail.  I particularly like the "for keeps" love heart, once again bringing the conservation message home; afterall, nobody wants to lose the Javan and Sumatran rhinos.  Meanwhile, in Torquay town centre, Rhino an old lady who swallowed a fly (get it?) takes us through that particularly quirky nursery rhyme, with a granny rhino displaying each stage of the story, from the spider, the bird, the cat, the dog, the cow, the horse... She's dead of course!  Rhino an old lady comes complete with her own horn fly too, a little touch that perfectly completes the piece.

On Paignton Sea Front, Rhinoctopus stole the show in my eyes, a lovely seabed scene in which a large pink octopus takes centre stage.  Incorporating coral and clownfish, it's a tropical nod to biodiversity that really appealed to my fishy tastes.  Paignton has also been the home of Oh I Do Like To Be Beside the Seaside, a take on the traditional British beach holiday, complete with sand castles, ice creams, and good old Punch & Judy.  It sort of fits perfectly in the faded glory of Paignton's Torbay Road, a throw-back to the days when this really was a destination of distinction, but celebrating the still-beautiful stretch of coastline that makes up this wonderful bay.

To Paignton Zoo, where the great gathering of rhinos was in full swing, all lined up neatly like a conservation army.  Here we had a chance to sweep up some of those we missed, such as Stella, which showcases endangered animals in the stars, and Rhino Why the Caged Bird Sings, which just has an intrinsic beauty that I'm not sure I even understand.  The impact of having so many rhinos in one place is a sight not-to-be-missed, giving - for the first time - a real understanding of the scale of the project.  I mean, what an effort by Paignton Zoo, once again giving the people of South Devon a world-class art trail for all ages.  Through the mindless moments of vandalism and antisocial behaviour of a tiny minority, the project has shone through to give a summer of pleasure to thousands of locals and tourists alike - we two included.  Thanks to the zoo for this, and for their conservation work generally.  You can see a gallery of all rhinos on my Flickr page.

Finally, to my favourite.  Or favourites, as there's two that stand out for me.  the first, Blossom, we snapped at Bernaville Nurseries near Exeter.  It appeals to the gardener within me, and would surly look perfect up by our summer house.  The second, which would also not look out of place in our back garden, is Woodland Safari, a celebration of native nature, and a reminder that you don't need to travel far to enjoy a safari of your own, to find fascination in the British countryside, and do your bit to help our embattled wildlife no matter where you live.  I guess that's the message that this project has spent a summer trying to get across - it certainly wasn't wasted.  So bye bye rhinos; and let's hope it's only the sculptures to which we bid farewell.