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Meet Big Sara!

June 6th 2022 a large scale authentic dinosaur fossil was put on display in a shopping centre in the UK. YES! We are that shopping centre! Have you met Big Sara yet? She has been here a little while now, but you can still meet Big Sara, here at Westquay Dating from the Upper Jurassic period, Big Sara is an allosaurus measuring 10 metres in length and 3.5 metres in height. With 70% of its skeleton intact, Big Sara is one of the most complete allosaurus skeletons ever discovered. The fossil was discovered in 2015 on a steep hillside in the Morrison Formation in Wyoming, acknowledged as the most fertile source of dinosaur fossils in North America, and took more than two years to fully remove.

Big Sara would have roamed the earth around 150 million years ago. Allosaurus means ‘different lizard’ because of its unique concave vertebrae, and they are believed to be a cousin of the T-Rex.

As a formidable carnivore, she would have been top of the food chain and ripped her prey apart with her killer claws. Some palaeontologists believe the allosaurus was a social animal and hunted in packs while others believe individuals may have been aggressive toward each other and have a reputation for fighting. Big Sara has been loaned to Westquay shopping centre, initially until June 2024, by the Bournemouth based Richmond Group which bought the dinosaur at auction.

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Founder and CEO James Benamor, said: “When we bought Big Sara our intention was to share it with as many people as possible. Whilst museums are fine, many children visit them maybe once a year if they are lucky." “When we looked at where we could put Sara so that as many people as possible could see her as often as possible, Westquay was our first choice. My own family are regular shoppers here, and as the largest and most popular shopping centre closest to the Jurassic Coast, it was the right place for the apex predator of the Jurassic period.” Laura Read, General Manager of Westquay, said: “When we were offered Big Sara we jumped at the chance. We are all about providing visitors with a unique entertainment experience whether shopping, dining or taking in a movie so having a full-scale dinosaur fossil on display fits totally into our strategy. We anticipate great interest from grown-ups and children alike who will be very welcome to view Big Sara for themselves and hopefully she will provide everyone with a sense of wonder and excitement.” Plan your visit to meet Big Sara here

Big Sara

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