How Hongkongers got to meet a 12-metre-long T.rex dinosaur
Michelle Ong, chairman of charity First Initiative Foundation, was determined to put skeleton on display as public attraction at IFC Mall in Central
Following the release of the science-fiction adventure film Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, everyone is buzzing about dinosaurs.
Now Hongkongers and visitors alike are able to get up close and personal with a real 12-metre (39-foot)-long adult dinosaur skeleton – “TAD” the Tyrannosaurus rex, at IFC Mall in Central.
Michelle Ong, chairman of the charity First Initiative Foundation (FIF), which teamed up with IFC Mall to present the “Meet the T.rex” event, tells us about bringing the skeleton to the city.
Tell us about your efforts in bringing the dinosaur to Hong Kong
Well, I was determined to make it happen and I jokingly said I would sit at the front doors of the museums until we found our dinosaur.
Luckily, with the help of friends and connections, I was able to find the owner of TAD (The American Dragon) – a significant T.rex skeleton.
First Initiative Foundation has found international palaeontologists to expand our exhibition with IFC Mall, which will include ‘Adventure Trail’, a hands-on learning educational activity
TAD has never been on public display before, but we convinced the collector to bring it to Hong Kong. Next, I had to find the right place to show TAD to the public – so one of our very supportive members made contact with our now co-presenter, IFC Mall.