Largest animal puppet

The Sultan’s Elephant, designed by François Delarozière for the Royal de Luxe company of France, weighed 48.4 tonnes (53.3 tons), reached a maximum height of 11.2 m (36 ft 8 in), was 7.20 m (23 ft 7 in) wide and had a length – in full stride – of 22 m (72 ft 1 in). The large mechanical figure, designed for open-air performances, was controlled by up to 22 manipulators. Its joints were lubricated with 2,500 litres (660.4 US gal) of hydraulic oil, and it moved at a speed of 1.5 km/h (0.9 mph). It first appeared in Nantes, France, on 19–22 May 2005, then in Amiens on 16–19 June 2005. In 2006, it visited London, Antwerp, Calais and Le Havre. It has since been destroyed.

Larger fantastical puppets have been built and operated, such as The Dragon of Calais and Asterion the Minotaur, but The Sultan’s Elephant is the largest real-world creature to be recreated in giant puppet form.