Museum Puts Smelly T-Rex on Show
L O N D O N, Feb. 6 -- It moves, it roars, it even stinks — Britain's Natural History Museum has become home to a robotic, life-like Tyrannosaurus Rex.
The animatronic dinosaur — at three-quarters the size of the real thing — is built to terrify. Equipped with motion sensors, its dozing form bursts alive as the crowds approach.
Its deafening roar — created by recording a human snore, slowing it down and adding a little bass — echoes throughout the museum.
But the piece de resistance is its eau de T-Rex.
Not content with having another boring replica dinosaur, the museum decided to capturethe authentic smell of the Jurassic beast.
Experts had wanted to recreate the exact odor that would have come out of the T-Rex's mouth, sort of a mixture of dead flesh and rotting meat. But the stench was too foul for the expected visitors.
"The smell was found to be so terrible and offensive it would have put people off," said Audrey O'Connell, head of the museum's international business division. "Instead we've gone for a smell that was found in the environment the T-Rex lived in."
Jungle Smells
The official description is an acrid, smoky, earthy smell, with a touch of boggy, swamp like smell, mixed with rotting water.
True authenticity!
The scent was created by Dale Air Deodorizing Ltd. of Lytham, a company in northern England that specializes in aromas for museums, zoos and businesses.
"It took us about a month to do the dinosaur smell," said owner Frank Knight.
Officially named Maastrichtian Miasma — the odor is a concoction of jaguar urine, cesspit, boiler room, brewery, wild stag, machine oil, garbage, Thai curry, smoked fish and ozone.
Museum curators promise this olfactory wonder — will waft around the 23-foot (7 meters) long, 13.5 feet (4 meters) high model for all to inhale.
The T-Rex exhibit which opens to the public on Feb. 17, cost $330,000 and was created by the Kokoro Co. of Japan.
For true fans wanting to take this unique T-Rex experience home, packaged bottles of dinosaur smell are available for purchase in the museum shop.
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