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Daily Record
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Jurassic Lanark welcomes 6000 visitors to summer trail
New animatronic parasaurolophus and ankylosaurus models were popular additions to this year's seven-week attraction Thousands of dinosaurs hunters flocked to Lanark for a fifth successive summer for the town's annual Jurassic trail, with this year's visitors once again praising the fabulous family adventure. More than 6100 trail maps were distributed to guide children and families around the 25 animatronic installations and giant sculptures located in the town centre at at Castlebank Park – with visitors coming from from as far afield as Edinburgh, Stirling and Ayrshire for the annual fun festival. New additions of moving parasaurolophus and ankylosaurus models proved popular additions to this year's line-up, alongside returning firm favourites and a busy programme of events led by the Jurassic Lanark ranger team, including special fun weekends for the youngest visitors. Research by organisers Discover Lanark showed that 93 per cent of visitors rated the dino-mite experience 'very good', while nearly nine in 10 used the town's cafes and restaurants and 62 per cent spent money in local shops during their time in Lanark. There were 2400 entries to the free trail's prize draw, and nearly one in five of those who took part in the Jurassic Lanark trail during the dinosaurs' seven-week appearance were making their first visit to the town. Discover Lanark business improvement district manager Antonia Pompa said: 'We were really pleased with the feedback – there was a very positive atmosphere in the town and it was really lovely to see families going round with their maps. 'We always try to introduce new things so we had the animatronic ankylosaurus and parasaurolophus, and a large T-Rex head outside the Tolbooth, and then the models are moved around each year to create different scenes. 'They're in place in both the town centre and Castlebank Park, and families said how much they appreciated the park and all that they can do there as well as part of the experience. 'It's been great and it's been delightful to see families out together with their maps, whether it's children, parents or grandparents, and really enjoying the trail together over the summer.' The dinosaur-themed attractions also included appearances from popular event mascot Roary, plus Lanark memorial hall hosting the interactive Dinosaur Adventure to 'save Volcano Island from a jurassic storm'. Discover Lanark posted on Facebook as the seven-week extravaganza came to a close: 'A big thank you to everyone who has visited the town and supported the trail and our local businesses, and to everyone who has worked so hard to make it a success and all the town's businesses who have entered into the spirit of our dinosaur spectacular.' They received hundreds of appreciative comments from visitors and families, praising the 'brilliant' free event and the 'lovely atmosphere' in the town throughout the summer.
The Independent
17-07-2025
- General
- The Independent
Ohio zoo cited after door separating two groups of lions broke, leading to death of a lioness
A zoo in Ohio has been cited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture after the agency investigated the death of a female lion at the park. According to the USDA report, the Columbus Zoo self-reported an April 17 incident in which a sliding door meant to separate two groups of lions failed. The barrier was supposed to keep a male lion, named Roary, away from an adult female lion named Asali. The animals were separated after zoo officials deemed them incompatible, according to WBNS. All of the lions ended up in the same space, which ultimately led to both Roary and Asali suffering injuries from fights inside their enclosures. Veterinarians at the zoo treated the lions immediately after they were injured, but Asali's bite wounds were too severe and she had to be euthanized. Roary sustained minor injuries and recovered after the incident. Two younger lionesses were also living in the habitat, and neither were hurt. Columbus Zoo staff believe that the sliding panel that separated the groups of animals was actually broken by one of the animals. The USDA cited the zoo and asked it to fix the issue by June 20. The agency has also asked the zoo to make sure that its replacement is made of more durable material. The window in the paneling was, according to zoo officials, the weak point that allowed the door to break. 'Our lion shift doors are constructed with thick HDPE material, commonly used for this purpose. These doors were constructed to include a window that could be opened or closed - a tool commonly used in doors across accredited zoological organizations to safely facilitate animal introductions,' the zoo said in a statement. 'All doors and locks are checked daily by keepers, however during the night, this door gave way. We determined that the window that was manufactured into the door likely created a structural weak point.' Zoo officials conducted an internal investigation into the malfunction, and in doing so checked other, similar paneling throughout the park. A zoo spokesperson told WBNS that the organization is trying to make the best of a bad situation by learning from the incident and sharing that knowledge with other zoos and wildlife parks. 'Since the incident occurred, in addition to conducting a full internal review the Zoo has also taken steps to turn this tragedy into a learning opportunity—for us and for our peers. As part of our commitment to animal wellbeing and continuous improvement, we have shared details of the incident with other accredited zoos," the spokesperson told WBNS. 'Our goal is simple: if our experience can prevent even one similar incident elsewhere, then we have a responsibility to speak up." The spokesperson said the Columbus Zoo knows "the importance of not just holding ourselves accountable but helping elevate standards across the profession." 'The safety and wellbeing of our animals is—and always will be—our top priority," the spokesperson said. "We continue to grieve the loss of Asali and are committed to doing everything in our power to prevent an incident like this from ever happening again.'
