It's official: Durham's decapitated dinosaur will get its head back.

The dino's owner, the Museum of Life and Science, made that official this afternoon.

There's just one thing — 

Durham Police have found the dinosaur head missing since Sunday night. It's damaged some, but back home at the Museum of Life and Science.

Police Capt. Larry C. Smith announced early this afternoon that the head had been located and that police had "identified those involved." Names have not been released, though.

Vandalism of the brontosaurus statue, which has stood at the museum beside Ellerbe Creek since 1967, was apparently a "prank," according to police spokeswoman Kammie Michael.

Museum spokeswoman Taneka Bennett said the staff will be meeting soon "to see if it can or cannot be restored."

About three years ago, some residents of the nearby Northgate Park neighborhood contacted the museum about restoring the then-intact statue, which for years symbolized the museum and had become a Durham landmark.

The museum was receptive, but put off further discussion until after its new Dinosaur Trail opens this summer. The subject quickly came back up this week as Durham residents expressed sadness and anger via neighborhood email lists.

Northgate Park resident Page McCullough said this afternoon that the neighborhood association will be talking with the museum "about what the possibilities are."

The aged brontosaurus at the Museum of Life and Science has lost its head.

A good bit of its neck, too.

"We're very sad," said museum vice president Julie Ketner Rigby.

According to the museum, the dinosaur statue was probably vandalized Sunday night. Part of the neck was found on the ground nearby, but the head remains missing.

"An act like this is just heinous," said Mike Shiflett, a resident of the nearby Northgate Park neighborhood.

Northgate Park and the museum have discussed conserving the statue, which has stood beside Ellerbe Creek since 1967. While scientifically obsolete, the brontosaurus is fondly regarded as a Durham landmark.

Shiflett has offered a $100 reward for recovery of the missing pieces, and other neighbors have been discussing repair since word hit the neighborhood email list Monday morning.

For old time's sake, the museum encourages people to post their images of the Old Dinosaur Trail at http://www.flickr.com/groups/847625@N22/.

Thomas Earl Carr, 37, of 2508 Shenandoah Ave. in Northgate Park was arrested Saturday on three drug charges.

Arrest warrants said Carr had 64 baggies of heroin that he intended to sell, containing a total of 10 grams of the drug. Carr also was charged with trafficking the drug and having drug paraphernalia, the plastic baggies. 

 He was being held late Sunday at the Durham County jail in lieu of $30,000 secured bond.