Article: Dinosaur exhibition captures visitors’ imagination

Monday April 20, 2009

From Creepy Crawlers to Prehistoric Beasts

KUALA LUMPUR: Dinosaurs like the menacing meat-eating Tyranno-saurus Rex as well as giant furry spiders came to life and awed visitors to the Backyard Monsters and Dinosaurs Are Back exhibition.

Visitors were impressed by the life-like interactive models of dinosaurs and gained insights into the world of various insects such as ants, beetles and the praying mantis.

Awesome display: Visitors reacting to the size of the ‘unicorn beetle’ on display at the Mid Valley Exhibition Centre in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

The exhibition features exhibits of 11 dinosaur and 25 insect structures from Denmark.

“We decided to present this exhibition because it will help educate people, especially children, about pre-historic creatures.

“It is important for us to know history and enrich our knowledge,” said F&R Exhibition and Conference Sdn Bhd chairman Admiral (Retired) Tan Sri Abu Bakar Jamal.

The exhibition, organised by F&R Exhibition and Conference, is supported by the Education Ministry and the National Cancer Council. It will be held until May 17.

“Children will also be less afraid of insects when they get to know them better,” he said after launching the exhibition at the Mid Valley Exhibition Centre in Mid Valley Megamall yesterday.

Gigantic encounter: Haikal Hakimi, four, was taken by surprise when his mother Hairani Sehab, 31, took him up close with a ‘dinosaur’ at the exhibition.

Businessman Ashaari Mohd Nasir, 34, who was at the exhibition with his two-year-old daughter Alia Sabrina, said it was an interesting experience to see models of dinosaurs moving compared to watching them in the movies.

“My daughter is a huge fan of dinosaurs and loves watching Barney. That’s why I brought her here,” he said.

Housewife Jacqueline Chew, 45, said she brought her two daughters to see the displays for them to have a better understanding of the creatures.

“My daughters are learning about insects in school so this will be good exposure for them,” she said, adding that her seven-year-old daughter Alyssa Patamakanthin was very fascinated with dinosaurs and reptiles.

This article was taken from:The Star Online: Nation 20 April 2009

The video was taken from: You Tube