The Daily Echo can exclusively reveal that the magic of the Go! Rhinos summer extravaganza is set to return as Marwell prepares to do it all again.

But what form the life-sized sculptures will take is one of the biggest secrets in Hampshire as wildlife park bosses remain tight-lipped until the big reveal next month.

Could it be a rhino again, as the horned animals proved such a hit with children and adults alike, or maybe a meerkat, in tribute to Marwell’s popular colony?

Or maybe park bosses will prefer to go for the park’s tallest tenant, the giraffe, or one of their most critically endangered species, the Amur leopard?

Daily Echo: The rhinos are going up for auction.

Whatever the chosen animal will be, one thing is for certain – news of a second trail through city streets and parks in summer 2016 is going to be met by huge excitement by the quarter of a million people who ventured into Southampton for the first.

The Go! Rhinos public art extravaganza, which was backed by the Daily Echo and saw 96 sculptures take up position around the city, promised to bring the wow factor to Southampton and it definitely did not disappoint.

Visitor numbers were double the amount expected by Marwell Wildlife, which launched the ten-week trail in July 2013.

There was also a boost to business, with WestQuay reporting a 25 per cent increase in sales during the first week of the trail, with footfall up week on week.

Daily Echo: The Docks Rhino near the gates to the Port of Southampton.

A huge amount of money was also raised through the auction of the 36 life-sized rhino sculptures, with nearly £125,000 split between Marwell’s conservation project, Wessex Heartbeat’s HIGH 5 appeal and the Rose Road Association.

James Cretney, chief executive of Marwell, said: “We are incredibly excited about our next public art event, which will hit the streets of Southampton in the summer of 2016.

“The success of Go! Rhinos in building our links with the local community, enthusing thousands of children about rhino conservation and raising thousands of pounds for Marwell Wildlife has inspired us to do it again.

“We are looking forward to releasing the details of our exciting plans next month.”

Marwell will reveal more details about the new trail at a special event at the end of February.