NBC29Elephant Sculptures Torn Down

Elephant Sculptures Torn Down

The elephants overlooking Waynesboro have finally worn out their welcome.

The fiberglass sculptures put the city on the map for offbeat tourist attractions. But complaints over trespassing and vandalism prompted city leaders to order them down Friday.

From their spot atop the former Waynesboro landfill, Hannibal and his elephants were visible from much of the city. But some fans just had to make the pilgrimage.

"The very nature of what they are -- it attracts people," said artist Mark Cline, who erected the elephants as an April Fool's stunt. "There are going to be some people that test the boundaries and come up a little bit closer."

That led to some vandalism to the sculptures, damage to the closed landfill, and trespassing complaints.

"There were folks that were trying to access the landfill site for the purpose of viewing the elephants," said Waynesboro City Manager Mike Hamp, "and doing that through private property -- through the yards of these neighbors."

Some locals lobbied to keep them in place, and the city manager said the favorable comments far outnumbered the complaints. Hamp received requests to have the landfill site equipped to handle visitors. But he says there's no money for that, especially in a recession year that's already seen budget cuts.

Cline says he has no regrets, and is thankful to the city for allowing the art to remain in place for two extra months.

"There comes a time when eventually all circuses leave the town, and this is just the day," said Cline. "Hope you enjoyed the show."

Reported by Ken Slack
See Bio / Email