A two-meter-high otter made out of sewing needles, May 13, 2017. Xie Yong, Dean of the College of Fine Arts of Shenyang University in Northeast China, used 300,000 needles to create the creature. In recent years, Xie has dedicated himself to creating animal statues out of needles, calling for better protection and an end to the fur trade. "The needles are the pains," Xie told local media on Saturday. He has finished 15 needle works, using up to one million needles.