Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman’s giant inflatable rubber duck was supposed to help Taiwan celebrate New Year’s Eve, but the cute duck suddenly burst and no one is quite sure how.
According to the BBC, the duck deflated on Tuesday, only 11 days after 50-foot tall duck arrived at the Keelung port. Organizers aren’t sure what happened, but there is speculation that it was hit by eagles.
“We want to apologise to the fans of the yellow rubber duck. The weather is fine today and we haven't found the cause of the problem,” Huang Jing-tai, who is on the team organizing New Year’s Eve events, said, reports The Daily Mail. “We will carefully examine the duck to determine the cause.”
The duck, called Spreading Joy Around The World by Hofman, has not had any luck in Taiwan. In September, one duck had to be brought ashore because of an approaching typhoon. Then in November, there was an earthquake, which caused the air pump to malfunction.
Hofman’s duck has visited cities around the world, as the artist hopes to bring a smile to people’s faces. Back in May, the duck went to Hong Kong, where it also deflated.
“They give people a break from their daily routines. Passers-by stop in front of them and enter into conversation with other spectators. People are making contact with each other again,” Hofman has said of his rubber duck.
Of course, the rubber duck is such an international icon that it has been inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame.
image: screenshot