NC police find dinosaur statue taken from museum

DURHAM -- The head of an old dinosaur statue taken from a North Carolina museum earlier this week has been found. Multiple media outlets reported that the head of an aging brontosaurus was stolen Sunday night from the Museum of Life and Science in Durham. Police found the head of the 77-foot-long statue near the Little River in northern Durham County around noon Wednesday. There was a big hole in the jaw. The statue had been on the museum grounds since 1967. The outdoor exhibit was closed in 1996 as obsolete. The name brontosaurus had changed to apatosaurus since the exhibit opened. Museum spokeswoman Taneka Bennett says officials are trying to determine if it can be repaired. A police spokeswoman says it appears the head was taken as a prank. (Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)