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The Guardian

For three decades, the Canadian city of Moose Jaw took pride in its status as the home of the world’s largest moose statute.
Standing at a majestic 10 metres tall, Mac the Moose has weathered brutal winters, graffiti and even the inglorious loss of his jaw. His recognition was so great that in 2013, he was named the city’s most popular celebrity.


But status and renown can be fleeting.
In 2015, Norway responded with its own moose sculpture – Storelgen, or “Big Elk” – a glitzy stainless steel bull moose, erected with the explicit aim of surpassing Mac’s height and stealing his place in the record books.
Multimedia: the tallest statues in the world
Now, however, the Canadians are fighting back, after a pair of comedians called Norway’s “ostentatious” statue “an egregious offence” and pleaded with Moose Jaw residents to restore the city’s stolen glory.
“You are a city famous around the world for the glorious name of Moose Jaw,” Justin Reves told residents in a video posted to Facebook. “And everyone that comes by, knows that this should be the world’s tallest moose.”

Standing in front of a forlorn Mac, Reves and colleague Greg Moore implored the residents to act quickly by adding 31cm (12.20 inches) to Mac, to “stick it to Oslo”.
The city’s mayor, Fraser Tolmie, answered the call to arms. “You may not know this, but it’s personal for me,” he said in a Facebook video in which he divulged that the moose was named after his wife’s great uncle.
India has world's largest statue, but satisfying Modi's ego still a tall order
“Mac the Moose was the tallest in the world, and the people of Norway have taken that from us. I’m not going to stand for it.”
The Norwegian moose, which stands midway between Oslo and Trondheim, measures exactly 30cm (11.8) taller than Mac. And Stor-Elvdal, the Norwegian municipality where it stands, has shown little appetite for backing away from the fight.


“We’re not letting this one go. Not a chance. We’re going to do whatever we can to make sure this is the world’s tallest moose – or biggest moose in the future, as well,” said Linda Otnes Henriksen, Stor-Elvdal’s deputy mayor, in a video posted to Facebook.
Staff in the municipality have said their moose – with the artist’s permission – could be doubled in height if needed, to a full 20 metres (65.6 feet).
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“[The Norwegians] purposely built a moose bigger than ours, but we’re going to be dignified and we’re going to win,” Tolmie told the National Post on Thursday.
Reves and Moore have set up a GoFundMe page to help hire an engineer to increase Mac’s size, hoping to raise C$50,000 (US38,000). So far, proposals include increasing the size of his antlers or putting a hat or helmet on him.


This is not the first time Mac has required intervention: in 2007, the statue was repaired at the cost of US$30,000 after holes caused by vandalism and neglect opened up in its jaw.
Potentially creating more headaches for Moose Jaw residents, Henriksen said she was open to crowdfunding for their sculpture, but the Norwegians were waiting to see Canadian plans for “enlarging their moose”.
This isn’t the first time Canadians have been in battle about an oversized work of public art.
Diners snap up seats at the world’s largest underwater restaurant
For two decades, the city of Duncan in British Columbia has feuded with the US town of Eveleth, Minnesota, over which is home to the world’s largest hockey stick.
Residents of Eveleth argue that their stick, erected in 1995, is the world’s largest. But in 2008 Guinness World Records sided with Canada, handing the title to Duncan.


The Minnesota town continues the fight, arguing that theirs is a real hockey stick whereas the Canadian version was merely a sculpture. To this day, they still call it the “world’s largest free-standing hockey stick”.
The New Brunswick town of Shediac – home of an outsize concrete sculpture of a lobster – was likely asking for trouble when they named their tourist attraction “‘the World’s Largest Lobster”.
In a surprise to few, it was also overtaken in 2015 by Rosetown, Australia. Their contribution, 10 per cent larger, was named “Big Lobster”.


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Offbeat

All elk breaks loose as Canada and Norway lock horns in battle over tallest moose sculpture

Canada's Mac The Moose, left, and Norway's Storelgen, right. Photos: Tourism Moose Jaw / Storelgen.no

Norway's stainless steel Storelgen , or “Big Elk”, was erected in 2015 with the explicit aim of surpassing Canadian Mac the Moose’s height and stealing his place in the record books. Photo: Storelgen.no

India, home of the world’s tallest statue, plans to build a statue that will be even taller

epa07188997 People gather to attend the 'Dharma Sabha' rally held by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), in support of the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, India, 25 November 2018. The Shiv Sena and VHP are organising different events in support of the construction of Lord Rama temple in Ayodhya, where security has been beefed up to avoid any untoward incident. The Babri Mosque at Ayodhya was destroyed by Hindu activists during a political rally which turned violent on 06 December 1992. Hindu fundamentalists had claimed that the mosque was built on the site of the birth place of Hindu God Lord Rama. EPA-EFE/PRABHAT KUMAR VERMA

epa07189004 Sadhu or Holy men attend the 'Dharma Sabha' rally held by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), in support of the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, India, 25 November 2018. The Shiv Sena and VHP are organising different events in support of the construction of Lord Rama temple in Ayodhya, where security has been beefed up to avoid any untoward incident. The Babri Mosque at Ayodhya was destroyed by Hindu activists during a political rally which turned violent on 06 December 1992. Hindu fundamentalists had claimed that the mosque was built on the site of the birth place of Hindu God Lord Rama. EPA-EFE/PRABHAT KUMAR VERMA

(FILES) This file photo taken on December 6, 1992 shows Hindu fundamentalists shouting and waving banners as they stand on the top of a stone wall and celebrate the destruction of the 16th Century Babri Mosque in Ayodhya. An Indian court ruled September 30, 2010 that a disputed holy site in Ayodhya with a history of triggering Hindu-Muslim clashes should be divided -- a judgement seem as favouring the Hindu litigants. In 1992, the demolition of the 16th-century Babri Mosque in Ayodhya by Hindu activists sparked riots that killed more than 2,000 people, mostly Muslims, and propelled India's Hindu nationalists into the political mainstream. AFP PHOTO / FILES / DOUGLAS E. CURRAN

Supporters of Vishwa Hindu Parishad or World Hindu Council gathered to demand the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya, India on Sunday, November 25, 2018. Photo: AP

India has world’s largest statue, but satisfying Modi’s ego still a tall order

Police officers stand guard near the “Statue of Unity” portraying Sardar Patel, one of the founding fathers of India. Photo: Reuters

epa07132434 A handout photo made available by the Indian Press Information Bureau (PIB) on 31 October 2018 showing the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi near the newly built and inaugurated Statue of Unity, a monument dedicated to Indian independence movement leader Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, near Narmada Dam in Gujarat, India, 31 October 2018. Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the 182 metres or 597.11 feet statue which is the tallest in the world which cost 430 million US dollars to construct. EPA-EFE/PRESS INFORMATION BUREAU PIB / HANDOUT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES

Indian policemen stand guard near the "Statue Of Unity", the world's tallest statue dedicated to Indian independence leader Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, near Sardar Sarovar Dam near Vadodara in India's western Gujarat state on October 30, 2018. - Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 182-metre-high (600-foot-high) "Statue Of Unity", which is a tribute to independence icon Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, on October 31. (Photo by SAM PANTHAKY / AFP)

Photo: AFP

World’s largest Confucius statue gets final polish as east China hometown prepares to honour ancient sage

The world’s tallest Confucius statue will be formally launched on Monday in Qufu, east China’s Shandong province. Photo: Xinhua

The world's tallest Confucius statue will be inaugurated in Qufu, Shandong province, during the Mid-Autumn Festival on Monday. The statue located in the birthplace of the famed ancient Chinese philosopher is 72 metres tall with a 7,800 sqm base. Photo: Xinhua

Ex-porn star’s wax statue signals changing mores in India

Controversial Bollywood actress’ acceptance into Madame Tussauds points to cultural shift in conservative society

People raise their mobile phones to take photos and videos of Bollywood actress and former porn star Sunny Leone during the unveiling of her wax likeness at the Madame Tussauds museum in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. Leone said in a news conference Tuesday that the statue stood for “women speaking up and women doing what they’re passionate about.” (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

Bollywood actress and former porn star Sunny Leone attends the unveiling of her wax likeness at the Madame Tussauds museum in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. The statue unveiled Tuesday represents the 37-year-old celebrity's acceptance by mainstream Indian society even as conservative Indian politicians condemn her porn-star past. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

Bollywood actress and former porn star Sunny Leone stands with her wax likeness at the Madame Tussauds museum in New Delhi on September 18. Photo: AP

Easter Island statues: mystery behind their location is solved, say experts

epa07251791 A handout picture provided by the British Ministry of Defence showing a famous Moi stone statue at the Hanga Roa quarry, which is home to 400 of them on Easter Island on 27 December 2018, (issued 28 December 2018). The British MOD reported that The British Royal Navy Type 23 frigate HMS Montrose visited one of the wonders of the world which is Easter Island otherwise known as Rapa Nui, home of the famous Moai, huge stone statues that where made hundreds of years ago by the ancestors that lived on the island. There’s 1000 Moai on the island. HMS Montrose is currently deployed on a global deployment where it’s visiting many countries on the way to Bahrain. She is currently two month in to a seven month deployment. EPA-EFE/LPhot JOECARTER /BRITISH MINISTRY OF DEFENCE/HANDOUT MANDATORY CREDIT: MOD/CROWN COPYRIGHT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES

epa07251792 A handout picture provided by the British Ministry of Defence showing a Lone Moai (stone statue) on Easter Island with British Royal Navy, Type 23 frigate, HMS Montrose behind in the sea on 27 December 2018, (issued 28 December 2018). The British MOD reported that HMS Montrose visited one of the wonders of the world which is Easter Island otherwise known as Rapa Nui, home of the famous Moai, huge stone statues that where made hundreds of years ago by the ancestors that lived on the island. There’s 1000 Moai on the island. HMS Montrose is currently deployed on a global deployment where it’s visiting many countries on the way to Bahrain. She is currently two month in to a seven month deployment. EPA-EFE/LPhot JOE CARTER /BRITISH MINISTRY OF DEFENCE/HANDOUT MANDATORY CREDIT: MOD - JOE CARTER /CROWN COPYRIGHT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES

A handout picture provided by the British Ministry of Defence showing 15 famous Moai at Ahu Tongariki, on Easter Island on December 27. Photo: EPA

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Mac The Moose, in the Saskatchewan town of Moose Jaw, was dethroned by the glitzy stainless steel Storelgen in Norway
But a campaign in under way for Mac to reclaim the title, by giving him bigger antlers or a hat


Mac The Moose, in the Saskatchewan town of Moose Jaw, was dethroned by the glitzy stainless steel Storelgen in Norway. But a campaign in under way for Mac to reclaim the title, by giving him bigger antlers or a hat.


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Guinness World Records

Nordic nations

All elk breaks loose as Canada and Norway lock horns in battle over tallest moose sculpture

.css-jfmysa{display:inline;word-break:break-word;}.css-1ankfgb{cursor:pointer;display:inline;word-break:break-word;}Multimedia: the tallest statues in the world

Multimedia: the tallest statues in the world