South Africa adds dinosaur interpretation center

South Africa has added a dinosaur interpretation center, the first of its kind, at one of its national parks to increase the visitors' experience.

On Sunday, Patricia de Lille, South African tourism minister, officially launched the Kgodumodumo Dinosaur Interpretation Centre, at Clarens, Free State province. The center contains the history of dinosaurs in South Africa with some bones and skeletons which were created by scientists to depict their shape and size. At the center, there is some history about the dinosaur embryo, which was discovered in 1976 at the Golden Gate Highlands. The South African National Parks has trained 15 tour guides to explain the dinosaurs and skeletons and the history of the center.

"We have created something both monumental and meaningful. This is not just a museum, the government is diversifying tourism attractions to grow tourism. This center marks the place where the oldest known dinosaur embryos in the world, those of the Massospondylus, were discovered, right here in our beloved Free State," said de Lille.

Jonah Choiniere, professor at Paleontology Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, said the center will attract South Africans and scientists from all over the world. He said many in the scientific world know that South Africa has a high concentration of fossils.

The South African National Parks has announced that South Africans are allowed to visit the center for free from June 22 to September 30.