Beloved dinosaur statue in Philadelphia’s Manayunk neighborhood replaced after apparent vandalism

A beloved dinosaur statue in Manayunk was replaced after someone snapped off its head in an apparent act of vandalism.

The Manayunk Bridge Park said on Instagram that Holod’s True Value Hardware Store on Ridge Pike in Lafayette Hill helped replace it with a new Bridget the Dino statue Tuesday. 

“After the heartbreak of seeing Bridget damaged, this unexpected act of kindness means more than words can say,” the Manayunk Bridge Park wrote on social media. “The neighborhood love is real — and this Dino is already feeling it.”

Now, the park is looking for ideas for a new name for the statue. 

Manayunk Bridge Park  

Manayunk community rallied around the statue

Before it was replaced, the community in Manayunk rallied around the statue. 

On Tuesday, the neighborhood kids flocked to Bridget the Dinosaur — or what was left of it. The stout, concrete garden statue, the fixture in Manayunk Bridge Park, had seen better days before it was replaced.

“I feel sad because I love that little dinosaur,” Omaya Rose Miller said.

The head of a beloved dinosaur statue in Manayunk was snapped off in an apparent act of vandalism.

CBS News Philadelphia

Omaya Rose Miller and Omani Miller were upset to see someone apparently snap off Bridget’s head. 

“Honestly, he was a gem,” Omani Miller said. “I thought people would take more care of him, considering he’s dressed up.”

Bridget, the fashion-forward Tyrannosaurus rex with a glittery manicure, has turned heads over the years for its anything but prehistoric style.

“People just dress him up every single holiday,” Omaya Rose Miller said. 

Joe Montelone and his daughter Lily often take photos.

Before the head of Bridget the Dino was snapped off, people would dress it up for the holidays.

“She walks this way on the way to school, so she can see it every day,” Monteleone said.

Philadelphia police investigating Bridget the Dino vandalism

Philadelphia police detectives were looking for surveillance video of the vandalism, according to a spokesperson.

The apparent case of vandalism happened over the weekend, police say.