LOXAHATCHEE, Fla. — Last week, the art world was all abuzz about a banana duct taped to a wall selling for $120,000 at Art Basel in Miami.
Now, Bobby the giraffe, a.k.a. the van Gogh of Lion County Safari in Loxahatchee, is taking advantage of the hype. He's one of five giraffes at the animal adventure park that have been trained how to paint.
Normally, giraffes' diets consist of lettuce, leaves, and branches. But as rewards for painting, these artistic animals get sweet potatoes, and you guessed it, bananas.
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Thursday afternoon, Bobby used his used his 18-inch tongue to create his own banana masterpiece.
We took WPTV's own resident artist, anchor Ashleigh Walters, to meet the talented long-necked mammal.
The kindred spirits have painting as a hobby in common.
"That tongue is too much," exclaimed Walters as Bobby licked her hand.
Lion Country Safari hopes the social media stunt will remind people that giraffes are declining in numbers.
You can purchase your own banana and duct tape masterpiece at Lion Country Safari for $49.99, and 100 percent of the proceeds will go to giraffe conservation.
Earlier this year, WPTV Taste and See South Florida profiled the special bond between Lion Country Safari handlers and the giraffes they care for.
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