The site where the fossil of the fish-eating Spinosaurid dinosaur was found may be turned into a tourist spot by the Pahang government.

State Culture and Tourism Committee chairman Mohd Sharkar Shamsuddin said the move was however dependent on proof that the dinosaur once existed in that location.

“The Pahang government is still waiting for a report from researchers from Universiti Malaya (UM) on the fossil discovery.

“If it is proven that the dinosaur once roamed the area, we will turn the site into a tourist spot,” he said replying to a question from Wan Salman Wan Ismail (BN-Jengka) in the state assembly at Wisma Sri Pahang in Kuantan today.

Mohd Sharkar said the Pahang government was keeping the site of the fossil discovery a secret to facilitate research work and to keep intruders away.

“I hope members the public can be patient as research by Universiti Malaya will take some time.

“What I can say for now is that the discovery site is right in the middle of Pahang,” he added.

In February, a group of UM researchers led by Associate Prof Masatoshi Sone found a 23mm dinosaur tooth at an undisclosed location in central Pahang.

The fossil, believed to be from the late Mesozoic era, most likely belonged to a dinosaur which existed between 65 million and 145.5 million years ago.

- Bernama