Cards and flowers rest against a metal chain-linked fence in La Jolla, a neighborhood's form of grieving for a dinosaur sculpture that recently became extinct.
Two years ago, a La Jolla resident, who wishes to go unnamed, placed a 14-foot-high metal Tyrannosaurus rex figure in his Muirlands Drive yard. The figure was a local landmark until a collapsed eucalyptus tree crushed the dinosaur during a December storm.
Recently, the owner put the dinosaur down with a chainsaw, and he recycled its remains.
The owner told the La Jolla Light he is not particularly popular with his 8-year-old daughter at the moment. Like others, she became attached to the display.
"I'm starting to feel guilty," the owner said. "I may owe the kids another dinosaur."
He added that while no replacement is imminent, he could consider reviving a different carnivore next time.
"I'm thinking more of a velociraptor mode," he said. "A neighbor suggested a theme, rather than just one large animal."
