One of the most unique set of characters from the Lord of the Rings Trilogies were the Ents, giant tree-like creatures that played a pivotal role in the books and films.
One of these Ents, Treebeard, carried aloft two of the hobbits as they made their way through the dark forest.
Now, we see a real-life version of an Ent, at least in form, from the west coast of New Zealand. It’s a beautiful northern rātā (Metrosideros robusta) tree, with what looks like legs that are in mid-stride.
Coincidentally, The Lord of the Rings films were made in New Zealand, making this a fitting symbol.
Photographer Gareth R. Andrews shows us the remarkable tree, which also happened to win the 2024 New Zealand Tree of the Year Award. (We love this award, by the way.)
Image by Gareth R. Andrews.
Below are two screenshots from The Lord of the Rings, showing Treebeard.
