Dirty rats: Thieves make off with beloved Old Man Rakali statue from Hindmarsh

A sculpture of a water rat called Old Man Rakali has been stolen from Hindmarsh, and the local council fears it could be headed for the scrap heap.

The rakali statue stolen from Hindmarsh

Thieves have made off with a newly installed 70kg sculpture of a rakali, or water rat, from a roadside reserve in Hindmarsh and the local council fears it could be headed for a scrap metal yard.

The brazen theft, which would have required bolt cutters or an angle grinder to cut through the steel and concrete that anchored the sculpture to the ground, took place on Thursday night.

The cute critter, which was shown rafting down a figurative river, is the work of artist Clancy Warner.

Old Man Rakali, stolen from a roadside reserve in Hindmarsh.

The Old Man Rakali statue has been stolen from Hindmarsh

Charles Sturt Council general manager, asset management services Adrian Ralph said he believed the rakali was probably stolen by thieves looking to sell the bronze.

“The value of rakali is to our community, and we are incredibly disappointed this has been removed,” Mr Ralph said.

“We would appreciate any information from the public to locate and return our rakali. There would be minimal value selling it as scrap metal, but it means the world to us. Artist Clancy Warner, who is interstate installing another artwork, is obviously devastated by the news.”

The sculpture was part of the council’s $4.26m Hindmarsh Precinct Upgrade, with the cost of the artwork and it’s installation costing close to $50,000.

Rakali are large native rodents who live within our river system, one of only two amphibious mammals found in our waterways.

They were once on the brink of extinction but due to conservation efforts are now thriving.

The sculpture’s creator said the work, titled Old Man Rakali, showed “just a little native rat, ambling along the river.

“He embodies the connections between nature and culture, people and place. He is respectful of his environment and the Kaurna Yerta that he’s on.”

Anyone with any information is asked to contact police on 13 14 44.