Dinosaur Forest at Port Lympne Reserve

An animal park’s new exhibition of dinosaurs has opened.

Port Lympne Reserve has a total 103 prehistoric creatures and with more expected later it will become the largest collection of life-sized dinosaurs in Europe.

Scores of people attended the new Dinosaur Forest near Hythe within the first hour of opening on Good Friday.

The static models are a permanent display of 40 species including the T-Rex (Tyrannosaurus Rex), Diplodocus, and Pterodactyl.

Visitors were also able to learn about the creatures from rangers who gave information about their history.

Port Lympne managing director Bob O’Connor said: “Each model is totally authentic and anatomically correct.

“This is going to be an epic experience.

"Not only will visitors be able to learn and understand more about these impressive creatures, but they will also be able to become amateur archaeologists, as they dig for fossils and even create their own dinosaurs to take home.”

Visitors will now also be able to downloaded the Dinosaur Forest app to get more of a flavour of the lives of these creatures who lived millions of years ago.

The dinosaurs’ journey to the site caused quite a stir, as they were spotted being transported on the county’s roads earlier this year.

This new attraction coincides with the park’s 40th birthday.

It was opened in 1976 by John Aspinall to solve the problem of lack of space at the already-established Howletts Wild Animal Park at Bekesbourne.

For details of Port Lympne Reserve's opening times and prices, click here.