マレーシア・ニュース

人気の恐竜博物館

マレーシア　:クチンに新しくできた恐竜博物館が話題になっている。なかでも一番人気のアトラクションは「恐竜時代へ旅行」だ。子供達には恐竜が恐すぎるという苦情も出たというほどリアルな作りになっていると責任者のデワン・トゥン・アブドゥル・ワザック氏は話した。恐竜のモデルはディノトレックチームと協力して再現し、恐竜の卵や実物大の彼等が見物できる。さらに近くのある様々なボタンを押せば恐竜の吼え声、仕草などが操作できるという。見物者の中には恐竜の代名詞であるティラノサウルスが見れて感激という声もあれば、少し恐かったという声もあるという。

デワン氏はこの博物館を子供達の教育に役立てて欲しいと語り、子連れの家族や恐竜に興味がある人たちに来て欲しいと話した。恐竜クイズなどもアトラクションの一部として設けられており、恐竜がいつ、どこで、なにを、どうして等を学んでくれたら嬉しいと話した。

今年の4月からオープンしたこの博物館は毎日約2,500人が入場しており、順調な滑り出しをみせている。大人RM5、子供３RMと格安の入場料であり、平均入場者はまだまだ増えるだろう。

ティラノサウルスを眺める観光客達

無断転載はお断りいたします

[ 5月2日　21：10　MCS]

ニュース・ソース

‘Dinosaurs’ come alive at exhibition in Kuching

A CACOPHANY fills the Dewan Tun Abdul Razak in Kuching where the Petrosains DinoTrek exhibition is currently being held. Children squeal and shriek as the mechanical Tyrannosaurus Rex roars.

The lifelike T-Rex model, its head moving as though in search of prey, is one of the main attractions at the exhibition.

Close by are a Maisaura guarding its eggs in a nest and a young Apatosaurus, a plant-eater, one of the largest dinosaurs to be discovered.

In another section of the exhibition, a robotic Triceratops model allows visitors to stir it into action by pressing various buttons.

By pressing two or more buttons at the same time, you can lift its front legs, wave its tail and open its mouth to hear a roar.

Fascinating as the models are, DinoTrek back-up team leader Nor Khatijah Mohd Razali said they come second in the popularity stakes among visitors.

The top attraction, she said, is the Xplorer Time Capsule that allows children to “travel 100 million years back in time” to the Cretaceous Age when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

“I think young children are a bit scared of the T-Rex,” she said, whereas the Xplorer offers a fun adventure of observing dinosaurs without feeling too threatened.

Besides the dinosaur exhibits, what’s particularly pleasing about DinoTrek is its educational and interactive nature.

“Our target groups are families with children and school groups who want to learn about dinosaurs in a fun way.

“If people are interested in dinosaurs, they can learn a lot in DinoTrek,” Nor Khatijah said.

For instance, children can try out the Dino Quiz by jumping on “Yes” or “No” floor pads to answer questions about dinosaurs.

Or they can compare their body weight to a dinosaur’s at the DinoWeight booth and learn about the characteristics of dinosaurs - where and when they lived, what they ate and what they looked like.

A replica of an Allosaurus skull sits on a table while nearby, a small booth invites visitors to press a button for a whiff of “prehistoric air.”

DinoTrek staff are also on hand to answer questions about the exhibits.

Since DinoTrek opened in April it has been attracting a steady stream of visitors.

“Our daily capacity is 2,500 visitors, so we advise school groups to make bookings before they come,” Nor Khatijah said.

She added that special activities including worksheets on dinosaurs could be arranged for school groups who book their visits in advance.

DinoTrek runs until Dec 31 and is open daily. Entry fees are RM5 for adults and RM3 for children (three to 17 years). Family tickets are available at RM12 for two adults and two children, while school groups (minimum 20 people) will be charged RM2 per person.

.<2-5-2007 THE STAR>