Photos: Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton draws crowds in Singapore before auction

Dinosaur fans got a glimpse of a rare T- rex skeleton as it went on public display

Last updated: October 28, 2022 | 16:04

Compiled by Nathaniel Lacsina, Senior Web Editor, with inputs from Agencies

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Singapore: The skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus Rex drew thousands of visitors in Singapore on Friday eager to have a look at the huge fossil before it heads for auction in Hong Kong.

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Many took selfies with the dinosaur, named "Shen", the Chinese word for god, which measures 12.2 metres long and 4.6 metres high and weighs 1,400 kg.

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The T-Rex, which would have lived 66-68 million years ago, was unearthed in Montana, in the United States, in 2020.

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"We knew the grandchildren are so into dinosaurs. They're always like 'dinosaur this, dinosaur that', so we thought, 'wow, it's such a good experience to bring them to have a look at this real thing'," retiree Nancy Seet said.

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Dinosaur enthusiast Richard Chan, 37, said he was reliving his childhood. "I collect a lot of Jurassic Park T-Rex figurines so really cool to see an actual one," said Chan.

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When Shen is sold, it will be the first auction of a T-Rex fossil in Asia, according to Christie's.

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Visitors use their mobile phones to take selfies with the dinosaur skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex on display in Singapore on October 28, 2022.

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Shen is assembled a day before it's displayed to the public on October 27, 2022

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Some experts have expressed concern that such significant items should not be auctioned to private collectors, where they may not be available to the public or to scientists.

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Francis Belin, president at Christie's Asia Pacific, said they hoped that exceptional objects ended up in institutions so they could be seen by the public.

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A guide price was not provided for Shen, nor the identity of the seller, but Belin said a previous T-Rex skeleton "Stan" fetched $31.8 million at a sale in New York in 2020.

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Shen the T-Rex is on public view for three days until Sunday. The auction in Hong Kong takes place on Nov. 30.

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Workers assembling the dinosaur skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex before it is exhibited in a display in Singapore.

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Workers assembling the dinosaur skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex before it is exhibited in a display in Singapore

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