Originally Posted by Hoax-Slayer.com

Commentary:
According to this email forward, attached photographs show a massive tree that has a trunk covered with detailed images of many different creatures. The email claims that the tree is an example of an unknown species that grows in a dense forest in Andra Pradesh India. The message would have us believe that the tree is a completely natural living plant and that all of the animal figures on its trunk have mysteriously grown there naturally and without human interference.

Not surprisingly, these claims are utter nonsense. The "tree" in the photographs is completely artificial and, moreover, it is not even located in India. The tree is, in fact, the famous Tree of Life, an icon of Disney's Animal Kingdom, a theme park located in Florida, USA. The artificial tree was assembled out of a range of materials and appears amazingly lifelike. An article about the tree on Disney information website, DIS, notes:

The first challenge was designing a 145 foot tall "tree" that could stand up to hurricane force winds, but still look realistic. A unique system of fabricating and assembling the branches was designed that brought the flexibility that was needed to bring this idea to life. There are 45 secondary branches that lead to 756 tertiary branches. With 7891 end branches, the entire structure is covered with 102,583 manmade leaves, each of which is more than a foot long.

Carvings of well over 300 animals were then added to the surface of the tree by a team of skilled artisans. The massive trunk even houses a theater that screens a 3D animated movie, Its Tough To Be A Bug.