Jurassic lark: Man dressed as a tyrannosaurus rex is given a warning by police for ignoring Spain’s coronavirus quarantine rules
- Officers were filmed giving the man a warning, but not arresting him in Murcia
- Spain imposed nation-wide lockdown to stop the spread of deadly coronavirus
- Coronavirus death toll in Spain hit 491 as cases increased by 1,987 to 11,178
- Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
A man flouted Spain’s coronavirus quarantine rules by taking out the rubbish while dressed as a dinosaur.
Police officers stopped the man – who was wearing a tyrannosaurus rex costume – and gave him a warning as he waddled away from a street-side bin where he had just dumped a bag.
The bizarre incident in Vistabella, Murcia, happened days into a government-imposed lockdown to stop the spread of coronavirus.
A man flouted Spain’s coronavirus quarantine rules by taking out the rubbish while dressed as a dinosaur causing police to stop him and give him a warning
Residents and tourists alike are banned from going outside except to buy food, go to work or get medical help for 15 days.
Even with the added precautions, the coronavirus death toll in Spain has hit 491 as cases skyrocketed by 1,987 to 11,178 in just 24 hours.
The police force involved in the surreal stop shared footage of the episode to music from the Jurassic Park soundtrack.
The man in the tyrannosaurus rex costume was stopped by police in Vistabella, Murcia, just days into a government-imposed lockdown to stop the spread of coronavirus
They joked that dogs were allowed out under the state of emergency but dinosaurs were not.
The clip shows police stopping the man as he crosses the road before speaking to him briefly.
The man then waddles away back to his house.
The footage offered Spaniards a much-needed dose of humour as they come to terms with the lockdown and the devastating impacts it is already having on peoples’ health and financial situations.
The police force involved in the surreal stop shared footage of the episode to music from the Jurassic Park soundtrack
One local said: ‘He went to put the rubbish out. It’s a justified trip out of the house. A little humour is not a bad thing at the moment. He’s made us all laugh.’
Another added: ‘You can put your rubbish out, right? What does it matter how he does it? It’s best to do it with a little bit of fun than go mad.’
But a critic branded him a nutcase, saying: ‘At least he didn’t cross the road or go up to anyone. Confinement is making some people lose their marbles.’
Local reports said the unnamed man under the dinosaur disguise had started to ask officers if he could go to the supermarket dressed like he was before they told him he would be arrested unless he went back indoors.