One of Britain’s biggest mazes is celebrating Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday by creating a spectacular design in the shape of a mountain gorilla.
Wistow Maze in Leicestershire, England, came up with the design to pay tribute to the legendary broadcaster who hails from their local county, having grown up near the University of Leicester.
The popular award-winning attraction features a winding labyrinth that stretches for three miles and takes around two hours to walk.
Each year the paths for the maze are marked out using GPS, so visitors can wind their way through towering walls of maize and sunflowers.
Each year a new topical design is chosen. Last year, it was designed in the shape of a steam train to commemorate 200 years of the modern British railway system.
It has also been shaped into a Crown to mark the Queen’s Jubilee, and a javelin thrower to mark the Olympics.
This year, its owner has paid tribute to one of Leicester’s most famous sons with a quirky design a gorilla—referencing the naturalist’s famous 1978 televised encounter with the creature in Rwanda.
“We spent almost a year mapping out the design,” said maze owner Diana Brooks. “It has been a lot hard work and effort since then to get it looking right.”
“He is certainly one of Britain’s national treasures, but it also ties-in nicely to him coming from Leicestershire, too.”
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Visitors are encouraged to find 12 quiz boards hidden among the pathways, featuring animals from his pioneering nature series, as well as interesting facts about the famous naturalist and broadcaster.
High-level bridges and towers give visitors stunning panoramic views over the fields, which will eventually blossom with sunflowers.
At the end of the season, the maize is harvested for cattle fodder before being redesigned the following spring.
Wistow Maze is a winner of Leicestershire’s “Best Visitor Attraction” and attracts thousands of visitors each year.
The maze will open daily (10am – 6pm) from July 20 until September 6 as well as the weekend of September 12/13, costing £8.95 for a child and £10.95 for an adult ($10 and $15). A family ticket for two adults and two children is £37.
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