The Big Elk (also known as Storelgen, meaning "the big elk" in Norwegian) is a large outdoor sculpture of a moose (Alces alces) located near the village of Atna in Stor-Elvdal Municipality, Innlandet county, Norway. It is the world's second-tallest sculpture of a moose/elk.
Description
The sculpture was created by Norwegian artist Linda Bakke and funded by a donation from the Sparebank1 Hedmark art foundation, in conjunction with the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA). It was officially unveiled on 15 October 2015. The sculpture is made of polished stainless steel, stands 10.3 metres (34 ft) tall, and was produced in Beijing, China. At the time of its completion, it was approximately 50 centimetres (20 in) taller than Mac the Moose in Moose Jaw, Canada, making it the world's tallest moose sculpture at the time. It held that title until October 2019, when a new set of antlers was added to Mac the Moose, reclaiming the record.
The sculpture is situated next to National Road 3 and was intended to reduce traffic accidents by encouraging drivers to take breaks and to increase awareness of wildlife on the roads. Stor-Elvdal has Norway's third-highest moose population. The project began in 2009, and construction and installation took approximately six months. The sculpture cost a little over €200,000 (approximately US$236,000).
Rivalry and media coverage
In January 2019, Canadian comedians Justin Reves and Greg Moore highlighted that The Big Elk had surpassed Mac the Moose as the world's tallest moose statue. They launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds to make Mac taller, generating widespread Canadian and international media attention. In October 2019, a new, larger set of antlers was added to Mac the Moose, restoring its position as the tallest moose sculpture.
Note on "Big Elk"
The term "Big Elk" (without "The") also refers to Ontopanga (c. 1765/75–1846/1848), a principal chief of the Omaha tribe on the upper Missouri River. He is known for his oration at the funeral of Black Buffalo in 1813 and for his efforts to protect his people during a period of Sioux warfare, disease, and European-American encroachment. This is a separate subject from the Norwegian sculpture.
