Thousands of people in Merseyside are expected to pay a visit to a 12-foot-tall cat which has arrived in the region as part of a new, multi-million-pound science centre.
The huge feline structure has been unveiled as the first installation at the Eureka! Science and Discovery Centre, which is set to open its doors to the public later this year. Plans for the new centre, which will be housed in the former Spaceport building, began in 2014.
The venue is expected to attract local visitors, as well as those from the wider North West and across the country. The cat – which weighs in at a whopping 750 kilos - will be the centrepiece of Eureka’s Home Zone, which will explore the science behind everyday sights and sounds.
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Complete with a twitching tail, a spokesperson for the centre said the structure will offer visitors the perfect selfie opportunity, as well as allowing them to discover truth behind a cat's nine lives, learn what a pet cat’s meows actually mean, and let them try to catch a mouse quicker than a cat can.
Leigh-Anne Stradeski, Eureka!’s CEO, said: "We couldn't wait to share one of our favourite creations with you, an exhibit we’re sure will be a firm fan favourite, too."
She added: "Our new furry friend doesn’t have a name, so we’re looking for people to help us out with suggestions on our social media channels to help us name the UK’s coolest cat.”
The attraction is primarily funded by £6.44m from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s Strategic Investment Fund and a £3m award from the Inspiring Science Fund.
It is also co-funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Wellcome Trust with a further £0.5m invested by Wirral Council. Eureka! is designed to engage and inspire children and young people in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) subjects.
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