Nur Syahirah's gigantic task of stitching 'wounded' dinosaurs

Nur Syahirah Harun, 29, is sewing back the skin of the animatronics body after it was cut open so that faulty motor components could be repaired.

Nur Syahirah who is a ranger attached to the National Science Centre Dinosaur Encounter here said it was a part of the repair and maintenance process of the various animatronic figures that are put on display at the mini zoo.

She said the main part of her job was to provide detailed information on prehistoric species to visitors, adding that she would also repair the damaged motor components encased in the animatronics bodies by cutting open the skin.

"After it's done, it has to be resewn. Seems easy right? It's not easy actually and not all rangers can do it. I am currently training other rangers to carry out this task," she told Bernama.

Nur Syahirah said 'wounds' refer to damage on the surface of the animatronics bodies, including the nails and teeth, and needed to be sewn with a curved needle and illusion cord using the blanket stitch method.

She said in addition to interest and basic sewing skills, rangers should be small built so as not to put pressure on the animatronics dinosaurs and ensure that the framework of the animal replicas will not break while they are performing the stitching procedure.

According to her the process can only be done manually starting with applying glue to the wounds, followed by stapling them before they are sewn back together.

"I have to make sure that all parts that needed to be repaired have been fixed before I start the stitching," she said, adding that she will normally take up to two days to complete the task depending on the condition of the 'wounds'.

When the task is completed, she will cover the patched surface with matching colours, she added.

According to Nur Syahirah, the Dinosaur Encounter exhibition, which is based on augmented reality (AR) technology, allows visitors to watch life-size animatronic figures of prehistoric animals at three locations, namely the National Science Centre, Melaka Zoo and Taman Teruntum Mini Zoo, Kuantan.

She said the animatronics have realistic motions and are set in a forest environment which gives the impression that the animals have come alive.

"Through science and technology, we provide visitors with the experience of being in the prehistoric times including when dinosaurs began to become extinct through natural phenomena such as volcanic eruptions," she added.