A 20,000-km walk from central Africa to the Arctic Circle has started in Congo. The epic trek is to raise awareness of the climate crisis. The journey will take over four months. It is called The Herds. A herd is a large group of animals. The hundreds of creatures in this project are life-sized puppets. They include lions, zebras, wildebeest, monkeys, giraffes and baboons. More than 2,000 people will be trained to make more puppets, all from recyclable materials. The Herds organizers said the walk symbolizes the flight of animals from climate disaster. A spokesperson said: "The Herds is public art and climate action on an unprecedented scale. It's an ambitious coming together of culture and climate."

The animal puppets from The Herds will visit more than 20 cities across the continents of Africa and Europe, including Casablanca, Madrid, Paris, London, and Stockholm. The final event will be inside the Arctic Circle in August. Each city will host street performances that focus on how we can help Earth. Alister Scott of the Global Rewilding Alliance said: "The Herds is going to reach millions of people and bring the fierce, exciting beauty of nature right onto the streets and into people's lives." The UK Peatland Programme said: "The Herds is a stunning representation of the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, and the journey we must all make towards a brighter future."