The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens presents “Dinosaurs: Unextinct at the L.A. Zoo” running through Oct. 31.

(photo by Jamie Pham)

The exhibit, produced and presented by the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA), brings 17 life-size and life-like prehistoric creatures to life in a once off-limits corner of the zoo. The animatronic dinosaurs take visitors back in time on a colossal adventure. They provide a rare chance to discover a lost world from millions of years ago while learning about the threat of extinction faced today by many endangered species.

Among the exhibit’s added features is a fossil dig, a stegosaurus robot with controls guests can operate to make it move; a climbable pachyrhinosaurus; and a free downloadable augmented reality app to access special content, including 3-D views of all the dinosaurs. Entry to “Dinosaurs: Unextinct at the L.A. Zoo” is $5 per person in addition to regular Zoo admission; free for children under age 2.

Guests embark on a self-guided stroll along a trail through lush landscaping with foliage similar to the earliest known trees and plants at the time dinosaurs roamed the Earth. The exhibit represents an array of anatomic shapes and sizes, with dinosaurs ranging in heights up to 22 feet, lengths of just over 21 feet and weights topping 6,700 pounds. The dinosaurs represented were found in locations around the world and during geological eras spanning 65 to 200 million years ago.

The creatures include a suchomimus with a fierce crocodile-like mouth from the Cretaceous period, a brachiosaurus from the Jurassic period, two coelophysis dinosaurs from the Triassic period, and a citipati from the late Cretaceous period. Other featured dinosaurs are the carnotaurus, edmontonia, utahraptor, dilophosaurus, diabloceratops and tyrannosaurus.

Accompanying the exhibit is a free downloadable “Dinosaurs: Unextinct at the L.A. Zoo” augmented reality app providing visitors an opportunity to interact with each dinosaur by “unlocking” an animated model when pointing a digital device at a target image. Users can animate the dinosaur on their screen, making it walk and run.  Included is a dino quiz to test dinosaur knowledge.

The Los Angeles Zoo is located in Griffith Park at 5333 Zoo Drive. For information, call (323)644-6001, or visit www.lazoo.org/dinos.