Africa-Press – Botswana. It’s just over a week since a giant mechanical bull strode into the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham and delivered a show-stopping performance.
It provided the undoubted “wow ” moment at the opening of the Commonwealth Games.
Brummies instantly took the bull to their hearts, and the original plan to dismantle it after the Games finished was quickly shelved.
Tens of thousands of people have crammed into Centenary Square to see it and it was hardly a surprise when the city council announced it would stay in place until the end of September – before being moved to an indoor venue in the city.
The bull has proved a magnet for photographers too, who’ve been sharing their images with the BBC Midlands Instagram account.
Here’s a small selection of the wonderful photographs of a structure that will surely go down in history as one of Birmingham’s greatest tourist attractions.
The bull is 10m (32ft) high, 4.5m (15ft) wide and 15m (49ft) long – and weighs 2.5 tonnes
“I love the people in Birmingham and the way they have reacted to the bull,” said Mike Kelt, from creators Artem
The outer skin is made of dense foam, meaning it can’t stay outside in wintry weather
“It was a huge challenge for us, and the beginning of five months of experimentation and hard graft,” said Artem
Chains representing those used in the slave trade pulled the giant bull into the stadium at the opening ceremony
The bull was brought to Centenary Square in the early hours after the opening ceremony with a police escort
A petition to save the bull when its future was initially in doubt attracted almost 10,000 signatures
Special effects include smoke from the body and nostrils, tears of blood and lighting to show the bull’s emotions
There have been several gorgeous Birmingham sunsets over the course of the Games
Some people who saw the bull being created assumed it was intended for the Glastonbury music festival in June
Bull technician Hannah Joshua said: “The response has absolutely blown us away”
The legs hang from an aluminium frame that allows walkways for the puppeteers and technicians
Two puppeteers are needed to operate the head while another technician uses a computer to move the legs
The legs had to be structurally designed, and Artem made three prototypes before they were happy
The bull is supported by a telehandler that weighs 17 tonnes
The special effects firm took five months to construct it with a team of about 60 people
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