Giraffe About Town
In the summer of 2022, Edinburgh Zoo worked with creative producers Wild in Art to present Giraffe About Town – a large-scale public art event in Edinburgh. The event featured more than 40 sculptures that formed a free, family-friendly trail of discovery for local people and visitors to explore and enjoy.
Each sculpture was sponsored by local businesses, community groups and education organisations. They were also decorated by local artists and communities – all designed to celebrate Edinburgh’s extraordinary heritage and cultural diversity. The sculptures were displayed in locations across Edinburgh – creating a trail highlighting hidden gems and engaging with communities from Edinburgh Airport to Leith.
In partnership with Wild in Art, the trail aimed to help the city recover after the pandemic and raise vital funds for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s (RZSS) conservation work in Scotland and around the world.
The sculptures were auctioned to raise vital funds for RZSS after the Covid-19 pandemic forced the closures of Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park for five months, costing the charity over £1.5 million.
Alongside the main ‘tall trail’, a ‘wee herd’ of 29 four-foot-tall giraffes was on display in city centre locations, libraries and other community spaces, sponsored by Essential Edinburgh and CityFibre.
