‘Dinosaurs everywhere’ in San Antonio this summer

A Tyrannosaurus rex is part of a new dinosaur exhibit at the San Antonio Zoo. A Tyrannosaurus rex is part of a new dinosaur exhibit at the San Antonio Zoo. Photo: JOHN DAVENPORT /San Antonio Express-News Photo: JOHN DAVENPORT /San Antonio Express-News Image 1 of / 29 Caption Close ‘Dinosaurs everywhere’ in San Antonio this summer 1 / 29 Back to Gallery

Visitors to the San Antonio Zoo have gotten a little bonus the past few weeks: A sneak peek at the dinosaurs that make up “Zoorasic Park.”

The response has been pretty much what might be expected, particularly from some young visitors. Last Friday morning, a little girl who had spotted a Tuojiangosaurus screamed, “DINOSUARS! Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!”

That child has much to look forward to, because the zoo isn’t the only place in San Antonio to see prehistoric beasties. The Witte Museum’s big summer show is “Predators vs. Prey: Dinosaurs on the Land Before Texas.”

Both exhibits open Saturday.

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More Information 'Predators vs. Prey’ What: Touring exhibit of 15 dinosaurs, including nine animatronic When: Opens Saturday; runs through Sept. 5 Where: Mays Family Center, Witte Museum, 3801 Broadway. Admission: Adventure Pass, which includes the Tricentennial exhibit “Confluence and Culture” and the rest of the museum, is $10 for museum members and $19-$22 nonmembers. Exhibit and museum admission without “Confluence and Culture” is $7 for members and $17-$20 nonmembers. Museum members will receive a discount on opening weekend. Info: 210-357-1900; wittemuseum.org. ‘Zoorasic Park’ What: Display of 15 animatronic dinosaurs When: Opens Saturday, runs through Aug. 26 Where: San Antonio Zoo, 3903 N. St. Mary’s St. in Brackenridge Park Admission: Included with zoo admission of $12.25-$15.50; free for ages 2 and younger Info: 210-734-7184, sazoo.org

“It’s a dinosaur summer,” said Thomas Adams, curator of paleontology and geology at the Witte. “There’s going to be dinosaurs everywhere.”

More than a dozen dinos can be found all over the zoo. Most are solo — there’s a hungry-looking Yangchuanosaurus hanging out in an enclosure across from the swans, and a long-necked Tuojiangosaurus is tucked into some vegetation not too far from the giraffes. An exception can be found in a play area in the Tiny Tot Nature Spot, where a Tyrannosaurus Rex and a Triceratops will hang out.

Most of them are animatronic. There also are some hands-on attractions, including a dig site where little ones can unearth bones. And signs with information about the creatures will be posted, as well.

Part of the idea is to give regular visitors something new and to give those who might not have been to the zoo in a while a reason to come back.

“We want San Antonio to fall in love with the zoo all over again,” said Chuck Cureau, director of PR and promotions for the zoo.

The Witte boasts nine animatronic dinosaurs in addition to a few others. The exhibit is designed to explore how predators and prey interacted, so the dinosaurs have been placed in scenes that illustrate that dynamic. In one, the T. rex takes on the armored Edmontonia; in another, a Tenontosaurus contends with a pack of Deinonychus.

In addition, there will be plenty of interactive elements, including a dig site, as well as real fossils.

“We have fossil evidence to show there were predator/prey interactions,” Adams said. “We have lots of examples of bones with bite marks, and we’ll have the fossils of some of these animals that were here in Texas. And that’s the other thing that we’re doing is connecting it back to Texas. That’s the other thing that surprises a lot of people is that Texas has this fossil record. That Texas had dinosaurs.”

dlmartin@express-news.net | Twitter: @DeborahMartinEN

Deborah Martin is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of her stories here. | dlmartin@express-news.net | @DeborahMartinEN