The disappearance of the dinosaurs is one of the most compelling mysteries of Earth’s natural history. Was it one asteroid? Was it several over an extended period of time? Were aliens involved (probably not)? Millions of years later, the extinction event continues under equally mysterious circumstances with the sudden vanishing act of the MacDuffie Dinosaur.

Well, not quite: the fiberglass brontosaurus statue has simply suffered fairly significant damage, and has been taken out back to await repairs.

The statue was purchased and painted with the flags of the (then) twenty countries represented at MacDuffie in 2013 as part of the Granby Dinosaur Statue Project.  The town’s adoption of the dinosaur as its town mascot is a tribute to the  Nash Dinosaur Track Site and Rock Shop, which is located near the site where the first dinosaur tracks in North America were discovered and which, according to its website, “has produced thousands of dinosaur tracks that have been sold to museums and private individuals all over the world.”  MacDuffie’s statue sat on campus mostly undisturbed for three years. Now, its luck has run out.  

“It seems to be missing half a head,” says Head of School Steve Griffin, who says the cause of the incident is unknown and that there are  “lots of ways for something to be damaged.”

While vandalism is a possibility, natural causes are also in play. Griffin imagines a situation in which “a stick or a big branch” fell on the statue, with the dented area subsequently being carved out, resulting in a “split down the seam.”

Regardless, the statue has not necessarily been permanently removed, and sits behind the maintenance shed while options for restoration are considered.  Griffin is “not sure whether we have the resources” to repair it ourselves, or if outside services will have to be acquired, but at the moment every intention is that the dinosaur will be back, eventually.