Maybe I'm being provincial, but I like the Nature Works sculptures. Would somebody clue me in as to why they're so derided?
As for the work in discussion, any well-done art is far better than a blank wall.
Lets say your being "provincial"... so what? The city should have art for all kinds of people. Rich, poor, young, old, provincial or "central" all kinds of people live in and contribute to the city. Whether you swig a beer and drive a Harley, or sip lattes and drive a Vespa, nobody's "culture" should be seen as either better or above someone else's. They are just different, and each can and should be able to enjoy their own thing without the scorn of the other. "No one can make you feel inferior unless you give them permission to." Sure we all occasionally poke fun at the other, but when it goes to the point of scorn or derision, or "I am better than you because of what I like. " I think that's crossing the line and untrue.
Some don't like that a few of the animals may not be native or appropriate for the area. Whether or not that's so, or whether that even matters or is intended, is another subject however.