Giant robots including a 12-foot tall bear and 6-metre long snake are among the special creations on display in a new exhibition of prehistoric predators making its world premier at Chester Zoo.
13 life-sized animatronic hunters – built in America – are included in the new show Predators. Featuring realistic movements and sounds, the models include the infamous T-Rex – the first feared land predator of all time, a shark with a 3-metre wide bite and a giant snake that eats crocodiles for breakfast.
The never-before-seen exhibition is showcases over 200 million years of lost species, and zoo conservationists hope the high-tech creatures will highlight the very real threat of extinction to animals on the planet today.
Zoo Ranger Phil Blackburn said, “This collection of robotic predators is a super-sized new exhibition that has never been seen before anywhere in the world. It’s amazing to see the sheer size and scale of some of the mega beasts that once walked the planet but it’s also a real reminder about the threat of extinction many species face today.
“It’s heart-breaking to think that one day, future generation may only be able to see animatronic jaguars, tigers and lions because they too have been wiped out. That’s what we want to highlight with this new display – and that it’s vital that we act now to prevent the extinction of species while we still have the chance.”
Predators is included in zoo admission and will run every day until Sunday 8 September 2019.
