NZ Airport Is Taking Down Giant Hobbit Eagles

Wellington Airport is saying an emotional farewell to two giant eagles. The two sculptures, each with a 49-foot wingspan, were installed in 2013 as a tie-in with the Hobbit movies, which were made in New Zealand, the BBC reports. Gandalf is riding one of them. The 1.2-ton eagles were created by Weta Workshop, which worked on the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings movies. The airport says it is working with the company on "exciting plans for a unique, locally themed replacement," reports RNZ. "There are many more stories to be told, and we're looking forward to working with Wellington Airport on bringing a new chapter to life," said Weta Workshop co-founder Richard Taylor. A sculpture of the dragon Smaug the Magnificent will remain above the airport's check-in area.

The airport in New Zealand's capital says the eagles, which have feathers up to 8 feet long, will be put in storage after they are taken down and disassembled Friday, but their long-term future is unclear. "It's not unusual to see airborne departures from Wellington Airport, but in this case, it will be emotional for us," said Wellington Airport chief executive Matt Clarke, per CNN. "They have been a huge success and travellers from around the world have loved admiring them. After 12 years it's the right time for them to fly the nest." One of the eagles crashed onto a food court during an earthquake in early 2014, weeks after they were installed, but no serious injuries were reported. (More New Zealand stories.)