Matthew Gray Palmer

The Virginia Zoo has expanded its elephant population.

The newest pachyderm, however, won't require any extra staffing. It is a life-sized aluminum sculpture of an African elephant whose entire body is composed of more than 10,000 butterfly silhouettes.

The sculpture will be unveiled Saturday at 11 a.m. in front of the zoo's main entrance.

It is the latest addition to the city's Public Art Program, which aims to make art accessible to the community.

Artist Matthew Gray Palmer, 36, received the commission for the sculpture from the city of Norfolk in 2008. More than 70 proposals were considered for the $103,000 project.

Palmer, who resides in Friday Harbor, Washington, made the trek to Norfolk this week to assist with his creation's placement.

"It's nice to have something so focal that people will be able to respond to in whatever way they see fit," Palmer said. "I like the fact that it will welcome people to the zoo."

Like many of his previous works, Palmer's newest sculpture, titled "All Things Within All Things," is symbolic, illustrating the interconnectedness of nature in what Palmer describes as "a playful fashion."

On the end of the elephant's upturned trunk is a gilded butterfly, whose wings are shaped like elephants.

"With the iconic entrance of the zoo, we needed something iconic to stand up to it," said Greg Bockheim, zoo director. "This elephant is the perfect beast to fit the bill." The colossal sculpture stands 10 feet tall, 16 feet long and 7 feet wide.

It weighs 800 pounds and took more than 2,000 hours and six months to craft.