Dinosaurs, polar bears and elephants lit up amid rhinoceroses, tigers and panda-shaped lanterns. All this was at a light show in Paris, aimed at drawing attention to the world's endangered species.
Paris sparkles with illuminations every holiday season, with installations in locations around the city. This year, a botanical garden in the heart of Paris becomes home to brightly colored animal-shaped figures.
They reach up to 15 meters, and were installed by the China Light Festival, a subsidiary of Sichuan Tianyu Culture Communication Company -- known for giant lantern displays to celebrate Chinese New Year.
People visit the "Shining a light on species" exhibition in the Jardin de plantes garden in Paris, France, December 18, 2018. /CGTN Photo
The show's organizers want to warn of the pressure that economic development has on nature and the survival of rare species.
"Of course we should be concerned about the disappearance of certain species, especially when it's a whole ecosystem that disappears because when a species like the tiger becomes extinct, it's a whole ecosystem that disappears with the tiger. So that really worries us. But again, the essential message is to invite people to walk in a magnificent place with these absolutely splendid illuminated sculptures. And on top of that, if we can raise awareness for diversity, then we have really fulfilled our role," Bruno David, the President of the National Museum of Natural History said.
The tour starts with prehistoric dinosaurs, then shows the first species that became extinct due to the pressure of human civilization, such as mammoths and saber-tooth tigers. It concludes with a display of the diversity of today's endangered species, including pandas, elephants and a 30-meter-long white shark.
People visit the "Shining a light on species" exhibition in the Jardin de plantes garden in Paris, France, December 18, 2018. /CGTN Photo
"It's really beautiful, there are a lot of animals, they are very original and I really like them." 13-year-old visitor Ambre Didi said.
"I think it's important, especially in a zoo. Beyond that, I don't know if it will really make people think, but that's one of the reasons we came here: to explain to my son Gabriel that there are some species that have become extinct, and others are also threatened," Christophe Naudin, a father visiting with a six-year-old child said.
The impact human existence has had was recently expressed in stark terms: A World Wildlife Fund report estimated that the global population of vertebrate species has decreased by 60 percent since 1970.