Dinosaur seeks new home

Model of Utahraptor for the Museum of Natural History

Could you look after the Museum of Natural History's Utahraptor?

A four metre-long model of a Utahraptor is ending its time in the Oxford University Museum of Natural History collections and is seeking a new home. Potential dinosaur owners please step forward...

The museum is looking for a host with an indoor public space that could house this striking Cretaceous creature - perhaps a school, community centre, library or other public venue. The model will be donated free of charge to the organisation which makes the best case for the Utahraptors continued public display in their venue.

To register interest in taking home this unusual pet, the Museum has set up a submission form which can be completed by following the link from the Museum's website homepage. Potential dinosaur wranglers will need to demonstrate that they can house the Utahraptor in their venue, which requires a clear floor space 1.6 metres by 1.2 metres (plus some room for the lengthy tail!). The Museum would like interested parties to make a statement about why they feel the dinosaur should move in with them. The closing date for submissions is 5 August and the selected venue will be announced by 12 August.

When the Utahraptor leaves the Museum later this summer it will not be for the first time: This plucky character got up to some escapades as part of the award-winning Goes To Town project in 2013 when numerous specimens left the building to appear in locations across Oxford city centre for six months.

On that occasion the Utahraptor was kindly hosted by Blackwell's book shop. But this time the Utahraptor will not be returning to the Museum and any new owners should take need: a dinosaur is not just for Christmas.