Giant Rhino Statue Finds New Home in Downtown Brooklyn

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN, NY — The three huge rhinos that took over the East Village for several months found a new home in Downtown Brooklyn this week.

A 17-foot-tall bronze sculpture of the rhinos, which represents the last living animals of a species near extension, was moved from Astor Place to MetroTech Common in Brooklyn this week, artists Gillie and Marc Shattner announced on their website.

"The Last Three" was first put in place in the East Village in March as a way to draw attention to the plight of northern white rhinos, which are extinct in the wild and only have two left alive in captivity.

They've been hunted to near extinction by poachers for their horns and the last living male died in Kenya days after the statue was installed in Astor Place.

Australian artists the Shattners spent a week with the remaining rhinos in Kenay in March 2017 to prepare for the piece and help memorialize the nearly extinct species.

"The whole mission was to recreate the three rhinos," Marc Shattner previously told Patch. "We just wanted everyone to know their names so that when they do leave this world they won't be forgotten."

"The Last Three" remained in Astor Place until earlier this week, when they were packed up and shipped to Brooklyn.

Image: Ciara McCarthy / Patch