Working group launched to save Drumhellers popular Tyra the T. Rex dinosaur [Video]

An important first step has been taken to save Tyra the Tyrannosaurus, the popular tourist attraction that towers over the skyline in Drumheller and was facing extinction in 2029.

The 25-metre-high figure, four times the size of a real T. Rex, attracts 150,000 visitors a year in southern Alberta, serving as the backdrop to hundreds of thousands of tourist photos over the last quarter of a century.

But earlier this month, the Drumheller and District Chamber of Commerce announced plans to dismantle Tyra at the end of 2029.

The news resulted in a public backlash with 23,500 names on a petition calling for her to be spared. The Town of Drumheller also demanded meetings with the chamber and Travel Drumheller.

The town announced Thursday that the three groups will explore options with the goal to continue welcoming visitors while planning thoughtfully for the future.

“While this decision marks the end of an era, it also opens the door …