A GINORMOUS dinosaur has set foot at West Midland Safari Park just in time for half term.

The Spinosaurus, reaching a huge length of almost 50 feet, is the newest addition to the Land of the Living Dinosaurs and is one of the largest and longest dinosaurs in the exhibit – staying true to scientists’ belief that it was the largest predatory dinosaur to roam the Earth.

Complete with long claws, a ferocious crocodile-like head and large pointy teeth, the new arrival is a commanding presence and even makes the park’s life-size Tyrannosaurus Rex look small.

Emily Brooks, head dinosaur keeper, said: “Spinosaurus is one of the most recent carnivorous dinosaur discoveries and will make an incredible addition to the Land of the Living Dinosaurs.

“It was ginormous, bigger than the T-Rex by a good margin, but it would rarely have been seen on land. In fact, Spinosaurus is one of the first dinosaurs palaeontologists have come across that is perfectly adapted for an aquatic life.

“It had a great, long tail, webbed toes found on the end of huge paddle-like feet and powerful arms.

“The most striking feature of this dinosaur was its enormous sail, which was brightly coloured and as tall as a person. This would have been used to communicate to other animals that it was the ‘top dog’ in its area.”

Although both Spinosaurus and T-Rex ruled the earth during the Cretaceous period, they would never have had a ‘Jurassic Park’-esque battle over food or territory, as they lived on different continents and were alive millions of years apart. In fact, Spinosaurus’s closest predatory contender would have been a 25 foot long sawfish.

Like its new companions, the Spinosaurus is animatronic – with moving eyes, mouth, neck, arms and tail – accompanied by life-like noises, giving the feeling of walking among the prehistoric beasts. It is the newest addition to the attraction, bringing the total number of dinosaurs to 40.

Land of the Living Dinosaurs reopens with the rest of the park on Saturday, February 13, and starts with Explorers Week.

For more information visit wmsp.co.uk.