An animatronic T-Rex fire led to its sudden extinction at a dinosaur-themed park in southern Colorado and the owner thinks an electrical malfunction caused the life-size Tyrannosaurus Rex to burst into flames.
Zach Reynolds said the T-Rex at the Royal Gorge Dinosaur Experience smoldered for about 10 minutes on Thursday morning before it caught fire. Visitors watched as the inferno spread through the dinosaur, which appeared at times to be breathing flames.
Reynolds joked, "We knew he had a temper, but today he blew his top."
The 24-foot-tall T-Rex, which moved and made sounds, was one of 16 dinosaurs that line the park's Wild Walk exhibit. Reynolds says it was a total loss but at least "it made for some spectacular imagery along the way."
He hopes to have a replacement T-Rex installed by the summer.
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