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MOSSEL BAY NEWS AND VIDEO - A tyre fitment company has created a work of art - a large elephant sculpture - using used tyres, at its premises on Louis Fourie Road in Mossel Bay.

The elephant was made from about 100 tyres and is quite a landmark on the corner of Louis Fourie and Bally Crescent in Voorbaai.

Louis Fourie is the main thoroughfare between Hartenbos and Mossel Bay.

The fitment centre branch manager, André van der Westhuizen, explains: "The idea was taken from an art exhibition which was publicised on facebook."

Photo gallery: Corner elephant turns heads

André attributes all the effort in creating the elephant to one of his staff, Ace Noqoga. The tyres had to be cut with a grinder and knives - hard work, bearing in mind that tyres have a steel inner core.

"It took several months to do," Ace told the Mossel Bay Advertiser.

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André explained: "We wanted to make a landmark on Louis Fourie Road. Everyone knows the Langeberg Mall and Agriland, but there is no landmark in between. We didn't realise the elephant would be so heavy. We had to put a steel structure inside to support it."

Also, the elephant is attached to a metal post with wire. It was soon realised it would blow over without this support. The elephant has been in place for three months now.

It is not finished yet, according to André and Ace. "We want to make the trunk larger and fill in the ears," André said. There are holes in the middle of the ears at present.

Ace said he needed a few more days to finish the work.

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