Featuring 18 animatronic dinosaurs created by Canada's Dinosaurs Unearthed, "Dinosaurs," which will run through Oct. 31, has denizens that range in size from 4 to 30 feet tall that will populate a forest setting near the Children's Zoo.
Andre Copeland, interpretive programs manager, is excited about the exhibit.
"It's about an awesome adventure where history comes to life," he said. "The experience is going to be great for everyone; we have something for everybody there."
All zoo visitors will be able to take a gander at a replica of the largest dino ever found, the Ruyang Yellow River dinosaur discovered in China in 2007. The beast measured nearly 60 feet long, 14 feet wide and 30 feet high. The animatronic version will be displayed beside Roosevelt Fountain (and will periodically spray water from its mouth into the fountain).
The interactive, multisensory exhibit is the zoo's first-ever animatronic exhibit. Within "Dinosaurs Alive!" visitors will hear the sounds dinosaurs made -- from loud roars to chirps -- and will be able to touch their fleshy skin when the dinosaurs move close to the path on which visitors walk (Copeland cautioned that hugging and climbing on the dinosaurs will not be permitted).
Visitors also will be able to manipulate the movements of four dinos -- an Apatosaurus baby, Baryonyx, Dilophosaurus and Parasaurolophus -- from remote-control consoles. Other interactive stations include a dig site on the East Mall where junior paleontologists can excavate replica dinosaur fossils in two shallow sandboxes, and an egg-laying dinosaur will provide souvenirs (inside the eggs) at the exhibit exit.
Interpretive signs along the walking path will provide information about each animal displayed, along with general information about dinosaurs. The information is designed to help visitors draw connections between these blasts from the past and current zoo residents.
So the exhibit asks visitors to think about which zoo animals might have evolved from which dinosaurs by considering hunting styles, body parts and behavior. Copeland hopes that after exiting "Dinosaurs Alive!" visitors will wander through the zoo and look for animals that share characteristics with the dinosaurs in the exhibit.
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