There are a whole lot of remarkable things about the Zoorassic Trail, which opened in Dublin Zoo on Tuesday afternoon.
There’s the size and scale of the animatronic dinosaurs lurking behind the bamboo bushes. There’s the scary screeches and roars they make and the elegant ways in which they move.
But perhaps the most remarkable feature is that Dublin Zoo has introduced this immersive and hugely entertaining experience and is not charging a cent extra for it.
All the way through the sprawling park, the sound of dinosaurs roaring can be heard and you’d have to wonder what the lions make of it all. Are they concerned their place of pre-eminences in the roaring stakes is being usurped by the tech giants?
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The animatronics are spread across the whole zoo, with some giant dinosaur eggs curious children - and curious adults too - can climb inside and nesting sites filled with dino eggs thrown into the mix for good measure.
The experience has been created in collaboration with “Dino Don” Lessem, a man who knows a thing or two about realistic dinosaurs, having previously served time as science adviser to Steven Spielberg on the original Jurassic Park film.
Highlights of the Zoorassic Trail include a 65ft tall brachiosaurus and a 40ft-tall T-rex, as well as a triceratops the size of an ice cream van.
“It is two worlds for the price of one ticket,” said Dublin Zoo’s Jennifer Dunne. “You’re going to see over 400 animals and you’ll also see over 40 prehistoric, incredibly life-like animatronic dinosaurs who can roar and breathe and move. They’re incredibly life-like and the most scientifically accurate dinosaurs you can get.”
Ms Dunne said they had decided not to add anything on to the ticket price to cover the cost of installation because the zoo “recognises that families feel rising prices in their pockets and are looking for an incredibly good value experience. Days out are becoming more and more expensive and we’re looking to add some value.”
As well as providing extra entertainment for the hundreds of thousands of people who will pass through the zoo’s turnstiles between now and the autumn, the feature is, Ms Dunne says, a core part of why it exists.
“This is a mission-driven activity,” she told The Irish Times. “Our mission is to save wildlife and inspire passion for nature, one person, one family at a time. There is actually no better way to tell the story of saving wildlife and conservation than bringing back the prehistoric creatures to tell their story through this really engaging and immersive experience. We’re really hoping it brings home how people can help us ensure that the 400 current species in our collection remain alive and kicking for as long as possible.”
