A bizarre, giant tree with a pair of leg-like trunks looks like an Ent from"The Lord of the Rings" — and it has just been crowned New Zealand's Tree of the Year after strolling past the rest of the competition.
The walking tree was the clear winner of the 2024 edition of the New Zealand Arboricultural Association's Tree of the Year award, walking away with 42% of the public vote, which included five other finalists, according to a statement emailed to Live Science. By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.It is unclear exactly how old the walking tree is, but award organizers noted it is the lone survivor of a forest that was cleared around 150 years ago."The farming family back then clearly thought it was special because they left it," Cadwallader said.