Exeter and Torbay Great Gorilla art trail on the move

The gorillas will be auctioned on 6 November

Thirty life-size gorilla statues are being moved from Exeter and Torbay in preparation to auction them off.

The Great Gorillas Project public art trail has come to an end after 10 weeks, during which they were placed on the streets and in parks.

The trail was designed to highlight the plight of the Cross River gorilla - the most critically endangered in Africa.

The statues - 19 from around Torbay and 11 in Exeter - are now being moved to Paignton Zoo.

Phil Knowling, from the zoo, said: "We have found, really quite amazingly, how many people have been out and about, following the trail, tracking all the gorillas down, feeling quite a close connection to them - local people feel quiet possessive of 'their' gorilla, in their part of Torbay or Exeter."

Mr Knowling said the that once all the gorillas were back at the zoo, cleaning, maintenance and any repairs required would be carried out.

There will then be a last chance for the public to view the gorillas all together before they are auctioned off for charity on 6 November.