Scientists in Belfast have successfully created what they believe to be the world's first dragon eggs.
Co-inciding with the launch of the latest series of Game of Thrones, which largely filmed in Northern Ireland, Queen's University is inviting fans to attend a special event.
In tribute to the TV show's most iconic creatures, DNA `spe-shell-ists' from the university's Khaleesi Project created dragon eggs after hatching a plan to splice DNA material from iguanas and komodo dragons.
Dragons are legendary creatures, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in many cultures such as Y Ddraig Goch, the red dragon of Wales.
In Game of Thrones, the massive, fire-breathing reptiles have a strong connection to magic.
The research team, led by Dr Joszefine Hritzova, successfully implanted the fertilised embryos into ostrich eggs, which were donated to the project by the Belfast Zoological Research Council.
The eggs are due to hatch at an event in the Martin Laboratory at Queen's on Sunday April 24.
"The eggs have been incubated since early last July, as komodo dragons have a nine-month incubation period.
Our aim is to have them hatch on Sunday April 24, and we want to invite students and members of the public along," Dr Hritzova said.
