We have so many ways to get people involved in their community, but one British town is learning that there are ways not to do it. Residents of the town of Rochdale were shocked when a giant statue of a baby showed up in their town square. The statue has certainly gotten people talking because it’s quite striking: it’s a 27-foot statue of a baby. And understandably, many find it totally creepy.
The baby is in the town center for a good reason, but it’s still an odd choice when you know what the reason is. Many residents can’t help but be freaked out by the statue, and are sharing their thoughts.
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The statue is in the town square for an interesting reason.
The statue, which the BBC also referred to as a puppet, is named Lilly, and was placed in the center of the town of Rochdale. Lilly is a part of a project created to encourage school-aged children in the area to talk about the importance of the environment. The baby will move to a new location in October to complete the project.
Naturally, the residents were freaked out.
Lilly’s eyes open and close, as does her mouth. Her limbs also move, which the town residents called “freaky.” One person told BBC Radio Manchester that they had “never seen anything like this in Rochdale before,” and another resident said it was like something from the movie Honey I Shrunk the Kids.
It's truly an odd thing to have in the middle of your town.
“I came around the corner and I thought, ‘It’s just creepy with its eyes shut, never mind open,‘” one of the residents said. Another passerby was concerned that someone was inside of the puppet, which is a fair assessment. It is really jarring.
The statue is part of an ongoing initiative.
School groups have been invited to speak to the baby, sharing their plans for looking after nature and animals in the future. A compilation of the children’s conversations will then be shared on October 24, as a part of the three-day Wild Wanders event, which is an outdoor environmental festival.
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People didn't hold back their feelings.
The Rochdale Borough Council shared a video of children singing to the statue on its Facebook page, and people didn’t hold back their feelings on it.
“That’s terrifying,” one person wrote. Another person shared a gif of the creepy doll from Squid Game, writing, “Now Run !”
“Mate I would of have nightmares for months seeing this as a kid,” someone else shared.
“This is just pure creepy,” another person wrote.
“Wtf is that horror?” someone questioned.
