Manayunk mourns beloved 'Bridget the Dino' after vandal destroys neighborhood statue

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A beloved community statue known as "Bridget the Dino" was found decapitated over the weekend in Manayunk, leaving neighbors shocked and searching for answers about who damaged the small but cherished garden fixture.

Residents say the 3-foot stone Tyrannosaurus rex stood in the Manayunk Bridge Garden for four years, earning a reputation as the garden's "guardian" and often being dressed up for holidays and seasons. Her head was discovered at the foot of her roughly 300-pound body, still adorned with a collar and a leopard-print scarf.

"I was shocked. I was just amazed. It's such a delightful little thing," said John Burrowes of Manayunk.

Neighbors gathered Monday near the Manayunk Street Bridge, where the statue got its name, trying to understand what happened.

"It's definitely sad to see if someone did this intentionally. She is an icon of the bridge," said resident Arianna Ho.

"She didn't deserve this. You saw the kids down here hugging her. The kids love her," added Thomas Watson, who said he and his wife have long helped care for the statue.

Several residents questioned whether the statue was knocked over or intentionally damaged.

"Could have been just knocked over potentially, but um, it would take a pretty big hammer perhaps," said Akira Gillingham.

Watson believes someone may have attempted to steal the statue. "Somebody tried to steal her and snapped her head off while they were trying to lift her. That's the only thing I can picture," he said.

Watson noted this isn't the first time neighborhood fixtures have been targeted.

"Gary the Goat," a similarly sized plush toy near the same garden, was stolen in 2023, and some of Bridget's handmade outfits have also gone missing.

"I was getting ready to dress her for Christmas on Friday and now we have to wait for the new one," Watson said.

Though Bridget cannot be repaired, residents say she will be repurposed somewhere in the garden.

Holod's, a local garden store, has offered to donate a new dinosaur statue, but neighbors agree there was only one Bridget, meaning the community will now have to choose a new name.