STUDENT LIFE LAST UPDATED : 28 JULY 2017
Have you spotted all the big, colourful bears that have popped up all over Birmingham?
You'd be hard pressed to miss them - the eye catching statues appeared almost overnight at the start of July, spread all across the city (and beyond).
But why have they chosen to take a summer hibernation in Brum?
The project has been set up by Birmingham Children's Hospital Charity, in partnership with Wild at Heart, and has been dubbed "The Big Sleuth", which is the collective name for a group of bears!
The bears themselves are based on Sun Bears, the smallest species of bear in the world.
The statues, which have all been sponsored by local businesses, will be sticking around until September 17th, before being auctioned off in aid of the Birmingham Children's Hospital. There are over 100 bears, which can be tracked via the official app.
We hope you get out there and capture them all, but if you need a little head start, we've got you covered. We've been out around our City Centre Campus, a sought out the 6 closest bears to us.
Don't Worry, Bee Happy
Location: Outside Millennium Point
Sun Bears love honey, so obviously they (much like the rest of us) are very reliant on the humble bee.
But unfortunately, global bee numbers are on the decline, not least because of the destruction of their natural habitat.
This bear highlights this problem, showing bees buzzing aimlessly around tree stumps.
Bearwok
Location: Outside Millennium Point
The big talking point on the first day of the project for the staff at Birmingham City University was "Can you believe we got the Ewok bear?!".
Yes, we're lucky enough to boast the Star Wars inspired bear right here on our campus, and we must say it is a dead ringer for the brave little bears from the forest moon of Endor.
Millennium Point Little Bears
Location: Inside Millennium Point
Alongside the big bears, there are collections of little bears around the city as well. There are 18 dotted around Millennium Point, all sponsored by local schools.
These bears won't be auctioned off with the big statues, but will instead be given back to their sponsor schools. Keep an eye out for our personal favourite - Albert Bearstein!
Vincent the Bipolar Bear
Location: Old Square Roundabout
Vincent, who is based on a design by patients in the St. Andrew's Healthcare centre, shows the duality of living with mental health illnesses.
The bottom of the bear is covered in dark, churning waves, representing the uncertainty that comes with living with bipolar disorder.
But even in the darkest of times, hope is still there - represented by the sunflowers growing up out of the waves.
Dr Bear Brawn
Location: Steelhouse Lane, near Birmingham Children's Hospital
It's fitting that the bear closest to the Birmingham Children's Hospital is the one dressed up ready for surgery!
Inspired by Mr William Brawn, the world famous heart surgeon, Dr Bear Brawn celebrates the 600 successful open heart surgeries that take place at the hospital every year!
Plus, if you go and see Dr Brawn, you'll see his buddy - Florence Nighting'owl from last years Big Hoot trail!
X-Ray Ed
Location: Aston Medical School
Did you know that the first ever x-ray taken for clinical use in the UK was created right here in Birmingham?
X-Ray Ed celebrates John Hall Edwards, who pioneered the technique way back in 1896.
If you look closely, you'll see the contents of Ed's stomach, which reflect the typical diet of the sun bear - honeycomb, figs, and even lizards!
And that is all you are getting out of us! We're afraid you're on your own for the others, but hopefully you've now got a few ticked off your list. We've included the map below to help you find the ones listed above.
Happy hunting!