Santa Barbara Zoo welcomes a robo dino

Young fans of the movie “How to Train Your Dragon� will want to catch the new show at the Santa Barbara Zoo, in which a Tyrannosaurus Rex demonstrates how animals can be trained to receive special care at the zoo.

Duncan the dinosaur stars in “How to Train Your Dinosaur,� in which hosts use the robo dino to show families how the zoo’s animals receive care, including how the creatures let trainers brush their teeth. This lifelike T. Rex is 15 ½ -feet long from nose to tail and 7 feet tall. It was created by the Chiodo Brothers, a Hollywood creature shop, and Duncan can run, roar, snort, growl, sneeze, blink and even, um, take a comfort break with the help of the operator inside, who controls his actions. In the 15-minute show, Duncan allows his teeth to be brushed with a giant toothbrush. (In real life, the gorillas at the zoo have their teeth brushed daily with a normal toothbrush.)

“We average about one crying kid per performance,� Dean Noble, the zoo’s director of marketing, said in an email. “The rest of the children are thoroughly enchanted.�

As with all productions, there is some tinkering: “We keep adjusting the revised poop mixture (peat moss, small bark, vermiculite, cooking oil plus two other secret ingredients),� Noble said. “It has to be just right to deploy. The poop is a huge hit (no applause, lots of chuckles and groans, however). “

The free show is staged at the outdoor Rolling Hills Theatre, with the audience seated on the grassy hillside (with no reserved seating). The zoo’s kid-friendly website even provides tips on how to train your friends or pets.

Zoo admission: Adults (13-64): $12; Children (2-12)/Seniors (65+): $10

Parking: $5 (or free for zoo members)

Info: Santa Barbara Zoo, 500 Niños Drive, Santa Barbara, CA 93103; (805) 962-5339, www.sbzoo.org.