Scotty, the world’s largest Tyrannosaurus rex, is now on display at his new home in Regina.
The CN T-rex Gallery opened on Friday to the public at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum (RSM).
“This is an exciting moment for our province,” said Gene Makowsky, Saskatchewan’s parks, culture and sport minister.
“We are thrilled to have a new attraction that will draw visitors to Saskatchewan from near and far.”
The famous Saskatchewan dinosaur was found near Eastend, Sask., in 1991.
Timothy Tokaryk, a palaeontologist who was part of the original dig, said while some of the skeleton was intact, the rest had to be put back together like a puzzle.
“The skeleton wasn’t laying on its side like a 40-foot chicken,” Tokaryk explained. “It was all jumbled like a regurgitated omelet, so that made excavation much more of a challenge.”
A study by University of Alberta paleontologists released earlier this year officially confirmed Scotty as the world’s biggest T-rex at 13 metres long.
University officials said the record-breaking T-rex has leg bones suggesting a living weight of more than 8,800 kilograms, making it bigger than all other carnivorous dinosaurs.
WATCH: Ralph Goodale cuts ribbon at CN gallery of Royal Saskatchewan Museum
“The Royal Saskatchewan Museum has been an icon in our community for as long as almost any of us can remember,” said Ralph Goodale, Canada’s minister of public safety.
“It is the perfect place to showcase the largest meat-eating dinosaur ever found in Scotty’s home province.”
Dr. Ryan McKellar, the curator of palaeontology at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, says the area was a popular stomping ground for dinosaurs and other creatures back in prehistoric times.
“One thing we’ve discovered about Scotty was that it sustained several injuries,” McKellar said. “We have injuries to the tail that may have been growth deformities or they may have been where another dinosaur took a bite out of the tail.
“Scotty” has garnered attention from around the world, with popular publications like The New York Times, CNN, CBS, The Independent, BBC and National Geographic all recently showcasing the massive carnivore.
Researches don’t know if Scotty is a boy or a girl.
It was nicknamed after the only spirit on hand the night of the discovery – a bottle of scotch.
“It’s just truly amazing from the beginning to the end of how this came about,” Tokaryk explained.
Visitors to the RSM will be able to understand his massive size in the two-level gallery, officials said.
Scotty lived in prehistoric Saskatchewan 66 million years ago.
—With files from Taylor Braat and Melissa Gilbert
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