Ranchi: Residents of Ranchi will soon have a date with dinosaurs.The state forest environment and wildlife department is set to open a new dinosaur-themed park in the outskirts of the state capital to bring denizens up, close and personal with the beasts.The department has zeroed in on the biodiversity park in Tupudana , about 14 kilometres from Ranchi , to set up the park with semi-automatic life-size models of various dinosaurs."The theme park will be on the premises of the biodiversity park. We will have semi-automatic models which will entice visitors from all age groups," Ranchi divisional forest officer (DFO) Rajiv Lochan Bakshi told TOI.Bakshi said that a tender has been floated to invite a consulting agency in planning the theme park which is expected to be thrown open by the beginning of August. It will house life size models of Tyrannosaurus (T-Rex), Stegosaurus, Sauropods, Raptors, Ankylosaurs, Pterodactyls and more. "The park will get visitors up close and personal with the Jurassic age and instill sense of awe," Bakshi said.The total project, including preparing the detailed project report (DPR) to the establishment of the park, is expected to cost around Rs 2 crore.The idea of setting up setting a dinosaur-themed park in Ranchi was originally mooted seven years. That apart, the department has plans to uplift the 500 acre bio-diversity park to turn it into a popular attraction for tourists and denizens wanting some fresh air amid greenery. Besides Ranchi, a similar Jurassic park is also proposed in Hazaribag.

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