Sixty-five million years ago, dinosaurs or “terrible lizards” ruled and roamed the earth. Some millennia later, man dug up their bones, brushed their fossils, painstakingly studied these species of the lost world, and eventually created movies glorifying these fantastic beasts.
Simply put, dinosaurs fascinate us. Baguio Ecopark spared no expense in building Dinosaurs Island, a park showcasing dinosaur replicas – much like Jurassic Park, but without any crazed carnivorous dinosaurs chasing you.
Dinosaur Island‘s location on the rocky foothills of Tuba, Benguet prove to be the perfect spot for a dinosaur theme park. The dense fog, rich greenery and plant life are reminiscent of Jurassic Park’s location, Isla Nublar.
Fair warning: upon entering the the Baguio Ecopark, visitors will need to climb up a few flights of stairs. No worries, though, for there’s a shack with some benches to take a quick breather as the end of it. As with any walking tour, remember to wear comfortable shoes and clothing, and bring essentials like bottled water and an umbrella.
This one’s called albertosaurus, or Albert, as his friends like to call him. For every dinosaur encountered, there’s a sign indicating dinosaur information, like its name, period of discovery, and quick facts, to name a few.
The tour guides at Baguio Ecopark’s Dinosaurs Island are very game in taking photos, sometimes even directing how we should pose. The results are always pretty funny. Also, there are sensors to detect when a person comes near a dinosaur, which then triggers certain sound effects. As you go along the tour, you’ll expect dinosaurs to roar on cue, but sometimes, they will still catch you off guard. Terrifying.
These are the signs indicating dinosaur information, but tour guides also provide little known fun facts, a few wisecracks, and some funny anecdotes about dinosaurs.
“YAAAAAS,” goes the carnotaurus, the meat-eating bull.
In some parts of the park, there are stone chambers which show fossil and bone replicas. They’re not real bones, though, as authentic dinosaur fossils are valued at millions. I like how there are mini museum-like chambers in the park.
This oviraptor, or the “egg robber”, is eyeing that other dino’s eggs. The dinosaur replicas make very minimal movements – usually just mouth or head movements.
What you’re looking at is the psittacosaurus, or the parrot lizard, so named because it squawks “Polly wanna cracker!“ Kidding aside, this colorful dinosaur walks on two legs, does not fly, and is not proven to like crackers.
This is the archaeopteryx or the “first bird”. Bet that doesn’t taste like chicken.
See more dinotractions on the next page!
