Beyond the odd obsession with Clone Trooper helmet holes and the excessive need to complain about every newly introduced theme, there is one thing which actually delights LEGO fans – LEGO animals. These really wild creatures elements are mostly found within the LEGO® City and ever so often with a treated to a handful of new species. The latest menagerie comes via the latest exploration sub-theme, Jungle Explorers. The inquisitive folk of LEGO City have once again headed into the jungle, but their adventures aren’t to retrieve gems or treasure but to observe the local wildlife.
Here’s a closer look at the various LEGO jungle animals, featured in the newly released LEGO City sets. They have been available in most regions since June but won’t arrive in North America until August 1st.
The smallest of the Jungle Explorers sets is one of the smallest of the new animal figures. The Red Panda is commonly associated with Chinese culture and is also the region they are mainly found in the wild. The LEGO version is around the same size as many of the LEGO dogs. It’s a little blocky but does look as you’d expect a Red Panda would. The Red Panda is found in set 60424: Jungle Explorer ATV Red Panda Mission.
On the banks of the rivers winding through the jungles, you may find a crocodile or two. These snappy reptiles have been featured in many past LEGO sets and different colours. Although they are not new moulds, the crocodiles featured in the new Jungle Explorer sets are sporting a new colour. The set features two adult crocs in Olive Green. They are joined by an infant crocodile hatchling. This element was introduced in the Marvel CMF series and also appeared in one of the LEGO City Missions sets. As with the adult crocs, the younger one is featured in a new colour, Sand Green. The crocodile family can be found in set 60425: Jungle Explorer Water Plane.
Various big cats have been portrayed in other sets. They have included panthers, sabertooth tigers and most recently, lions. Older LEGO City jungle-themed sets have also featured tigers. But this isn’t a returning element instead it’s an all-new take on the true king of the jungle. The body shape is similar to previous big cats but is a more vivid orange colour. The head is new and features a more fuzzy muzzle compared to past tigers. Only one is featured in the new LEGO City sets. Unlike the recently introduced lions, there aren’t any tiger cubs, which is a shame. You can find the LEGO Tiger in set 60426: Jungle Explorer Off-road Truck.
One of the earliest LEGO animals was the monkey. This got a redesign in 2011 when a new ape figure, which resembles a chimpanzee, was included in the Series 5 LEGO Minifigures. Ten years later another monkey figure was introduced in the LEGO City range. Now it’s once again the turn of the Great Apes to shine as the gorilla becomes the latest LEGO animal. Two versions of a gorilla have been created for the new sets. The troop includes two adult gorillas and an infant. So the set offers two new LEGO animal figures. You can find the family of gorillas in set 60427: Jungle Explorer Helicopter at Base Camp.
The new LEGO City Jungle Explorer sets are available now and will be released in North America on August 1st.
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The LEGO Group provided some of these sets, upon request, for this feature. The thoughts within this review are those of BricksFanz.com and do not reflect those of the LEGO Group. Providing a set for free does not guarantee a favourable opinion of the set.
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