Durham's brontosaurus damaged by vandalism

Durham, N.C. — Brontosaurus, which was part of the Museum of Life and Science’s old Dinosaur Trail, was vandalized early Monday, officials said. A small portion of the neck was found on the ground, and the head was missing.

The trail, which opened in 1967, has a lot of history with the residents of Durham, especially those who live in Northgate Park and Colonial Village, official said.

“Over the past three years, the Northgate Park and Colonial Village neighborhoods have been working with the museum to remove some of the undergrowth and debris that had accumulated over the past several decades since the Dinosaur Trail was closed," Mike Shiflett, Northgate Park adopt-a-park coordinator, said in a statement.

"While a lot of the other pieces suffered damage during Hurricane Fran and a few ice storms in recent times, the Brontosaurus seemed immune. From a neighborhood perspective, we are just as outraged as our friends at the museum that someone so callous could act so selfishly in destroying a piece of history."

The museum plans to reopen the new Dinosaur Trail sometime this summer.

Anyone with information about the vandalism is asked to call the museum at 919-220-5429.

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I'm with everyone else who remembers this trail as the COOLEST thing ever when you were a kid. I remember the Piedmont airplane, the periscope, the parabolic dishes that would allow you to talk across the room, and the Jacob's Ladder. I even remember when they had the "living" robotic dinosaur exhibit. I look for any and every excuse to go to the museum these days, my nieces and nephews are tired of going.

I hope they catch whoever did this.

DougWare.NET
June 2, 2009 4:13 p.m.

Paul, that is funny!!!!

I am sorry about the vandalism, though.

curiousgeorgia
June 2, 2009 12:50 p.m.

Probably a senior prank. It makes me mad/sad. We visted the trail when I was a kid and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. As an adult I've spied parts of the dinos through the brush and trees and it brought back memories of my childhood. I feel for the local residents who have been working so hard to get the trail restored so all can enjoy. Hope the head turns up soon!

oneofmany
June 2, 2009 11:39 a.m.

This makes me really mad. Why would someone do this? I remember always loving those dinosaurs as kids. It really is a shame that people could do this sort of thing. Grow up!

mylittlevoice
June 2, 2009 11:04 a.m.

wow the people that did this were soooooooooooooooooooooooooo cool i am in awe at how cool they are! really, what kid thinks they are going to be cool for doing this? they are just as lame as their friends probably giving them the high-five.