Visitors to Edinburgh Zoo will soon be confronted with robotic models of animals that died out millions of years ago.
The zoo is preparing for the arrival of a set of giant moving dinosaur models ahead of a six-month show.
Velma the velociraptor was the first animatronic character to make an appearance at the visitor attraction yesterday, and will now tour various landmarks across the city in the coming weeks.
Measuring 13ft, she has computerised controls, meaning she can roar, blink and move her giant head from side to side.
The exhibition will allow visitors to explore a lost world of creatures that were on planet earth up to 65 million years ago and to rediscover the natural world of today.
Velma will also visit Dynamic Earth, Ocean Terminal and the Gyle Shopping Centre to complete her tour of the capital.
The velociraptor maintains a fearsome reputation, in part due to Holywood blockbusters like Jurrasic Park.
And although featured in the film, the creature actually lived about 75 million years ago during the later part of the Cretaceous Period.
Next to Tyrannosaurus Rex, the Velociraptor, commonly shortened to raptor, is the world’s most famous meat-eating dinosaur.
The zoo’s exhibition, Dinosaurs Return!, will feature 11 adult model creatures, two babies and a nest when it opens on April 3.
Staff are currently working on a specially designed landscape, with huge rocks and foliage to create their habitat.
Cheryl-Ann Beattie, animal presenter at the zoo, said: “We are going to be learning all about the dinosaurs’ past and linking it in with animals that are extinct today and how we can prevent further extinction and help with further extinction.
“We’ve got velociraptors, stegosaurus, brachiosaurus and a big tyrannosaurus rex – so lots of exciting ones that kids are going to know about.”