Fate of loved pink elephant statue unclear as historic Las Vegas Strip motel closes

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — An elephant never forgets, and the one outside a historic and now closed Las Vegas Strip motel has seen a lot in roughly 60 years. But, the elephant in the room: what will happen to it?

The Diamond Inn Motel is referred to as one of the oldest standing structures along the Strip, with history dating back to the 1940s, per the Clark County Assessor. The pink elephant that stands outside it has greeted visitors since likely the ’60s.

While tourists try to snag a peek behind the fence, so are those who work nearby.

Brian Mills is a wedding officiant and Elvis impersonator for the historic Little Church of the West, which is next door.

“We’re all kind of wondering, ‘What’s going on?’” Mills said outside the fence Wednesday morning. “Most of the time I see (the elephant), people are walking by. They’ll come over and take a picture with it.”

Motel operators we contacted revealed little about the elephant and the motel’s future. Workers 8 News Now encountered while visiting the property Wednesday declined to comment. A supervisor confirmed on the phone only that the motel closed in early October.

So, the question remains: will these trunks stick around? Those like Mills believe they should, considering the statue is even in the United States Library of Congress.

“Vegas loves to tear things down and rebuild them,” Mills said. “If this is a protected structure, or a sculpture, then we really hope it is preserved.”

While the motel’s website says the elephant originally came from ‘Disney World,’ conflicting reports say it was created for the amusement park giant who later did not purchase it.

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