Want to keep up to date with Cheshire's What's On news? Sign up to our newsletter! Subscribe here Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Thousands of Chester Zoo visitors have called for a stunning imprint of a sleeping elephant to be turned into a lasting memento.

Zoo staff posted an incredible photo of the impression left by Anjan the elephant in the sand as he slept, which details a perfect detailed imprint of the animal's face.

"Elephants lie on their sides to sleep for around four hours a night - plenty of time for Anjan to create his incredibly detailed piece of animal art," staff wrote.

The photo has prompted thousands of likes and comments from animal lovers who think the photo should be preserved into clay or at least turned into some kind of lasting memento.

Many called it a 'piece of art' and some said it looked like a fossil that had been unearthed by an archaeologist.

"Wow, so beautiful - would be great if could be preserved in clay beautiful life long memories," one person wrote.

"Can you make a mould of it? Frame and plaster of Paris, spray it with some sort of glue beforehand. It’s lovely," another said.

However a Chester Zoo spokesperson told CheshireLive: "The print was unfortunately left very much in the middle of the elephant habitat and so some rather heavy footprints have since passed through!

"Given the incredible reaction to the photograph though, I’m sure the keepers will keep an extra eye out for any other prints that are made in the future now though."

