The Royal Saskatchewan Museum’s much beloved roaring animatronic T.Rex Megamunch is being retired in late-February.
Megamunch made its debut 37 years ago, at half the size of a real T.Rex. The carnivore has been the star of annual birthday celebrations at the museum with various dino-themed activities. Starting in 2019, he began sharing the day with Scotty, the museum’s cast of the world’s largest T.Rex skeleton.
Brie Hnetka, the museum’s executive director, said the retirement is due to wear and tear caused by the dino’s age, calling the goodbye “bittersweet.”
“I grew up coming to the museum and seeing Megamunch. Back then he was scary to me, but it was something I wanted to see and kind of get that thrill,” Hnetka said. “It also really inspired a lot of people to be interested in dinosaurs and fossils, he means a lot to people in Regina.”
A retirement bash is being held in mid-February, and the museum will be creating a tribute wall at the entrance to the auditorium.
Notable moments of the T.Rex’s career include taking a stint at the YQR Airport as a greeter while a new enclosure was built at the Life Sciences Gallery in 1997, surviving the 1990 museum fire, celebrating the Saskatchewan Roughriders 2007 Grey Cup victory, and becoming a fashion icon for the museum as staff began to dress him in various attire starting in 2010.
“It’s been a conversation for many years with management. We’ve put it off as long as we possibly can, but at this point he’s made that decision. His mechanics and the technology is really deteriorating and it’s that time.”
Megamunch will be taken to the museum’s warehouse where it will remain part of the collection, with his last day slated for February 25th.