The Big Elk should not be confused with Big Elk.
| The Big Elk | |
| Artist: | Linda Bakke |
| Completion Date: | 2015 |
| Medium: | Polished stainless steel sculpture |
| Subject: | Moose |
| Height Metric: | 10.3 |
| Metric Unit: | m |
| Imperial Unit: | ft |
| City: | Atna, Norway |
| Pushpin Map: | Norway Innlandet#Norway |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Norway |
| Coordinates: | 61.6678°N 10.8844°W |
The Big Elk, also known as Storelgen (meaning 'big elk' in Norwegian), is the world's second-tallest sculpture of an elk/moose (Alces alces). It is near the village of Atna in Stor-Elvdal, Innlandet, Norway. It held the title of the tallest moose sculpture for 4 years, from its completion in October 2015 until October 2019.
Paid for by a donation from Sparebank1 Hedmark art foundation,[1] the sculpture was created by the Norwegian artist Linda Bakke in conjunction with the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA). It was officially unveiled on 15 October 2015.[2] It is close to National Road 3 and is an attempt to reduce traffic accidents by encouraging drivers to take a break and be aware of wildlife on the roads. Stor-Elvdal has Norway's third-highest moose population.[1]
The project started in 2009.[1] The building and installation of the sculpture took around six months.[3] It was produced in Beijing, China, as a Chinese bidder had the best offer both in economic terms and with regard to quality.[4] It is made of polished stainless steel.[5] The height is 10.3m (33.8feet),[6] and at the time of its completion it was about 50cm (20inches) taller than Mac the Moose in Canada.[4] [7] The sculpture cost a little more than €200,000 (about US$236,000), and the Bjøråa picnic area and rest stop in the area, created by the NPRA, is worth €2.7 million (about $3 million).[1]
In January 2019, Canadian comedians Justin Reves and Greg Moore highlighted the fact that The Big Elk was the world's tallest moose statue[5] and called on Canadians to add to the height of Mac the Moose which previously held the title. The comedians set up a GoFundMe page to hire an engineer to make Mac taller, hoping to raise C$50,000. This created widespread attention in Canadian media and international media.[5] [8]
Fraser Tolmie, the mayor of Moose Jaw, told the BBC: 'We're considered to be very mannerly and respectful, but there are things you just don't do to Canadians. You don't mess with Mac the Moose.' A popular suggestion, according to the mayor, is to make Mac's antlers larger, while others have suggested adding a pair of stilettos.[9] In October 2019, a new set of antlers was added to Mac the Moose, making it taller than the Big Elk.[10]