The weekend before last the Big Green Gummi Bear and I were in London for a few days. We were staying near London Bridge and on the Saturday morning as we set out from the hotel in search of breakfast, I spotted this statue next to the hotel.
I love chimps!
Next morning, while the Big Green Gummi Bear was pounding the streets of London along with 42000 other people, I went for a wander down behind the hotel towards Tower Bridge to take some photos. Much to my great surprise, I found a few more friends.
Later in the day as we walked along the south bank past HMS Belfast and Hays Galleria, I found a few more.
So why all the chimps?
Cue a Google search when we got home.
These statues form part of the Chimps Are Family public art trail in support of conservation projects. There are 18 statues (28 chimps) in total hidden/placed in and around the London Bridge and Tower Bridge area on the south bank of the River Thames. They can be found there until 21 October 2022.
The sculptures showcase different behaviours and emotions that we humans also display e.g., love, grief, friendship, play. The similarities aren’t really so surprising when you consider that we share 98% of our DNA with these wonderful beings.
My only regret is that I failed to find all 18. (In my defence, I didn’t know at the time that there were 18 of them or I would have made the effort to look harder.)
If you happen to be in the area before 21 October and fancy seeking these wee guys out, here’s a map to help you.
Have fun searching them out!
If you want to read more about the project, see the link below:
28 Chimpanzee Sculptures Unveiled In New Central London Art Trail | Londonist
Coral McCallum 