Dinosaurs to Make Debut at Elmwood Park Zoo
Elmwood Park Zoo is set to unveil a large addition to its exhibit collection when they debut Dwayne “The Brach” Johnson, a 65 foot long, 35 foot tall Brachiosaurus. Dwayne will be officially available to greet the public on Friday, July 19, beginning at 10:00 am.
The lifelike robot is the creation of Dino Don, Inc., a Media, PA-based firm responsible for state of the art dinosaur exhibits that are on display throughout the world. The Brachiosaurus that they’ve installed in the zoo’s former capybara pond swings his neck and moves his head while emitting a roar that is similar to the ones heard from the dinos running amok in the Jurassic Park films.
The zoo held a contest to name the dinosaur, with people asked to vote on their favorite name from a list that included “Zacheosaurus,” and “Bracha Lee.” Dwayne “The Brach” Johnson ran away with the vote, garnering nearly 30% of all 1,300 online respondents.
In addition to Dwayne, guests will see a smaller Velociraptor robot positioned on the banks of the pond that also moves and makes noise. The zoo has also created a dig pit for children to uncover bones and artifacts like their favorite paleontologists, and a giant Tyrannosaurus Rex head will be on hand for unique photo ops.
Elmwood Park Zoo’s dinosaur exhibit will be on display through Labor Day. The exhibit is free to view with paid zoo admission. A 50% off admission discount and other savings are available between 2 and 5 pm on weekdays only. More information is available at elmwoodparkzoo.org.
Who’s Who at the Zoo: Painter Dave
The zoo has kept painter and artist David Michener very busy over the last few years. From his naturalistic vistas in select animal exhibits to the massive animal mural that over looks the extended parking lot, David has been positively transforming Elmwood Park Zoo, one brush stroke at a time.
“I always had it in me,” David says when describing his artistic ability. He recalls the lessons his grandmother, herself an established artist, would give him as a young boy. He put his developing talent to use early on, selling sketches of Batman for a penny each to his fellow schoolmates at lunch.
David describes the creative ideas he often receives as “flashes” in his head. He says he was overjoyed to be able to apply his creativity to his work at the zoo, which began four years ago with a mural he painted for the interior of the squirrel monkey exhibit.
Since then, David has painted murals for the other primate exhibits, as well as the gorgeous sunset that adorns the walls of the African straw-colored fruit bat enclosure. He also is responsible for the cougar exhibit and the vibrant artwork inside the zoo’s administrative conference room.
He admits that his most challenging work to this point has been the rock walls in the red panda enclosure. David mixed over one ton of concrete and sand and then painstakingly laid it over wire mesh to create the facade that resembles the rocky Himalayan landscape of the panda’s natural habitat.
We couldn’t help but ask what he’s got in mind for the zoo next. “I’m very excited for the future,” is all he’ll say. As the zoo continues to grow and develop, you can expect to see more of David Michener’s art beautifying spaces and adding dimension to exhibits.
Written by Shaun Rogers