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It turns out slow and steady doesn't always win, as it was the 'Love to Run' hare sculpture that generated the highest bids at the Tortoise Takeover auction last night – with the top bidder hopping home with the two-metre sculpture for a whopping £100k.
The auction, which was held at the Royal Yacht last night, marked the conclusion of the public art trail, which saw a sculptures decorated by local and international artists take up residence in iconic locations around the island throughout the summer.
While the Tortoise Takeover trail has served to raise awareness of Durrell's world-leading conservation work all over the world, the key aim of the sculpture auction is to raise money for a new reptile enclosure to house the many endangered species that are looked after at Jersey Zoo.
Pictured: Last night's auction was held at the Royal Yacht Hotel.
The improvements to the facilities will also support Durrell’s team working at rewilding sites around the world, who are undertaking vital research and providing frontline care to these species on the brink.
A total of 49 giant tortoise sculptures, the 'Love to Run' hare sculpture, and a few special young tortoise sculptures were all up for grabs last night.
Bidding started at £3,400 for giant tortoises but many sold for at least £10,000, with the auction raising a grand total of £720,500.
⭐️ We’ve raised an incredible £720,500 tonight! ⭐️
— Tortoise Takeover (@JerseyTortoises) September 21, 2023
???? We’re ab-shell-outely delighted by everyone’s generosity and support, tonight at the auction and throughout #TortoiseTakeover. pic.twitter.com/iAYHgHVoYV
Despite the hare sculpture breaking Jersey's record for most expensive sculpture – previously held by Jersey Sandman Andy Coutanche's avant-garde gorilla sculpture 'The Space Between Us' which sold for £72,000 four years ago – the 'Tortoise Takeover' auction total fell over £400,000 short of the £1,146,500 raised at the 'Go Wild Gorillas' auction in 2019.
Pictured: Local artist Nick Romeril's 'Love to Run' hare was the star of the show, raising £100,000 for Jersey Zoo.
CEO of Jersey Zoo, Dr Lesley Dickie, opened the evening saying that "tortoise mania" had "spread across the island this summer" with 11,000 app downloads proving that "the island understood the mission" of the trail.
She also spoke about Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise hatched in 1832, who is the world's oldest living land mammal at 190 years old. Dr Dickie spoke about how much the world has changed during Jonathan's lifetime, highlighting the climate events and many species who have gone extinct since he was born.
Pictured: Dr Lesley Dickie, CEO of Jersey Zoo, opened the evening with a speech about the world's oldest living land mammal.
The Jersey Zoo CEO ended her speech on a positive note, sharing the proverb: "It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness," and added: "So tonight, you're going to help us light some candles."
As the auction began, bids chimed in from across the world in person, online and over the phone – all of which were fielded by Bargain Hunt’s lively Charles Hanson.
Pictured: Exuberant auctioneer Charles Hanson encouraged bidders to "use the company card!"
A particularly poignant moment came around half way through the auction, when 'My Neighbour Tortoro' by Will Bertram went under the hammer.
Mr Bertram has been working as the Artist Coordinator for the Tortoise Takeover, and bidders were encouraged to offer £500 or £1,000 each to buy the tortoise as a gift for the artist who is due to get married at the weekend.
Pictured: Bailiwick Express – which has been proud to be the official sponsor of the Tortoise Takeover this summer – said 'toodle-oo' to our own 'Toadstooly Tortoise' as it sold at the auction for £12,000. You can read more about the artist 'Marnie Makes' HERE.
Mr Bertram joked that he was "more nervous" for the auction than he was for his upcoming wedding, as seven bidders banded together to buy his tortoise for £6,500 in recognition of his work co-ordinating the trail.
The star of the show was local artist Nick Romeril's 'Love to Run' hare, who Dr Dickie explained had been nicknamed 'Stan' when its existence was still a secret.
WATCH: The hare sculpture made a surprise entrance to the public art trail in July.
The Jersey Zoo CEO admitted that she was initially unsure about Mr Romeril's plans to decorate the hare in a naturalistic way, but said that the painted sculpture "brought tears to [her] eyes" when she first saw it's finished design.
This high praise was echoed by buyers who eagerly bid for the hare, pushing the price up to the record-breaking £100,000 total.
⭐️ SOLD for £26,000! ⭐️
— Tortoise Takeover (@JerseyTortoises) September 21, 2023
???? ‘Not Fast Food’ by Donna Newman
???? https://t.co/FcGgAucMP3 pic.twitter.com/Ntfn3Dz2u2
⭐️ SOLD for £25,000! ⭐️
— Tortoise Takeover (@JerseyTortoises) September 21, 2023
???? ‘Shell-f Reflection’ by The Beach
???? https://t.co/X3QY1LOo3P pic.twitter.com/t1NlDuVHIF
⭐️ SOLD for £25,000! ⭐️
— Tortoise Takeover (@JerseyTortoises) September 21, 2023
???? ‘Stay Gold’ by Abi Overland
???? https://t.co/NxPPcoZClx pic.twitter.com/xorI50qGc7
⭐️ SOLD for £24,000! ⭐️
— Tortoise Takeover (@JerseyTortoises) September 21, 2023
???? ‘Porcelain Tortoise’ by Zoe Connery
???? https://t.co/9VoSqytY7K
???? Watch live! https://t.co/b0bGxGFJ47 pic.twitter.com/MV0sPQHrzK
⭐️ SOLD for £21,000! ⭐️
— Tortoise Takeover (@JerseyTortoises) September 21, 2023
???? ‘Puffling’ by Katherine Cadin
???? https://t.co/5GSOt2THRb pic.twitter.com/CXJHCxN5t5
⭐️ SOLD for £21,000! ⭐️
— Tortoise Takeover (@JerseyTortoises) September 21, 2023
???? ‘The Jersey Royal’ by Hannah Jayne Lewin
???? https://t.co/3zXYWZCzIm pic.twitter.com/u55kU7o3J2
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