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SINGAPORE – Singaporeans are on the warpath over recent vandalism at outdoor dinosaur exhibits on the newly opened Changi Jurassic Mile.
Just a week after the 3.5 km-long attraction, which connects Changi Airport and the East Coast Park, was inaugurated on October 11, a video of a woman happily rocking back and forth in An exhibit of baby dinosaurs began circulating earlier this week.
The hatchling that emerges from its egg is also missing five teeth.
It is one of more than 20 models of dinosaurs, from a towering Tyrannosaurus Rex to a trio of velociraptors, on display outdoors between the Terminal 4 pit stop and the entrance to East Coast Park.
A spokesman for the Changi Airport Group (CAG), which commissioned the dinosaur exhibit, said the exhibit has suffered some damage and will be temporarily removed for repair work.
When the Straits Times team visited the attraction on Saturday morning (October 17), a sign appeared that read, “I don’t bite! Don’t pull my teeth out!” it had been placed behind the display.
Responding to inquiries, a CAG spokesperson said that dinosaur exhibits are for the public to share and enjoy, and should be treated with care.
“We will add warning signs along the Changi Jurassic Mile to remind visitors not to climb the exhibits. There are also surveillance cameras to monitor movements along the way,” the spokesman said.
Some visitors to the new attraction were upset at the vandalized baby dinosaur exhibit and called for penalties such as a fine to deter people from damaging the exhibits.
Mr. Dennis Lui, 50, who was on the Changi Jurassic Mile for a morning jog, said: “Vandalism is bad. Dinosaur exhibits are good for kids, they are excited to go for a walk and exercise.
“But it’s difficult to prevent vandalism or enforce sanctions. You can’t really put CCTV everywhere,” added Lui, who is unemployed and previously worked in the processing industry.
Joevena Loy, 42, noted that a lot of work would also be needed to review surveillance camera footage to identify the culprits.
“Educating people, especially children, is more important, as well as family values and parenting,” said Ms Loy, who made the trip there with her friend Janelle Quek especially to see the dinosaur exhibits. They both work in business development.
Ms Quek, 35, added: “If it is an adult who commits vandalism, maybe a fine can be imposed. With social media, Instagram and TikTok, nowadays, people like to try to be funny and go beyond the limits.
“But if you damage a public facility, you ruin other people’s experience.”
Concerns about overcrowding and safe distancing have also prompted the CAG to implement a reservation system for the attraction that has drawn crowds since it opened.
From Friday through January 3, visitors will need to reserve a spot on the Changi PlayPass to visit the Jurassic Mile on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays between 9 a.m. and midnight.
There was a sizeable crowd at the Hub & Spoke cafe near Terminal 2 when ST was there on Saturday morning, with cyclists crowding the shared path. Many stopped at the cafe for snacks and to go to the bathroom.
Some that ST spoke to said that the road, which is about 2 meters wide, is too narrow to accommodate cyclists and pedestrians.
Shawn Liu, 45, who was there for a morning jog at 7:20 a.m. M. said he was almost run over by bicyclists on the road while running.
Flight attendant Shermaine Ng, 43, who was cycling with her husband, suggested that the road be segregated with a designated bike lane.
“The traffic was very heavy with many young children and families with strollers even at 8 am, and the road is a bit narrow,” said Ms Ng.
He added that they had also noticed the dinosaur with damaged teeth throughout their walk, as it was “very obvious.”
“Since we are all stuck in Singapore and there is nowhere we can go, it would be great if we could all do our part as citizens. If there is a new attraction, places to go outside, we should appreciate it and be responsible for looking after it.” , He said.
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