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Huibers' ark stands at 150 cubits (68 metres) - three-quarters of the length of a football pitch

Following in Noah's footsteps, Dutchman Johan Huibers is ready for any floods Holland may experience - thanks to his own special ark.

Huibers built the replica of Noah's Ark with cedar and pine using modern tools after a premonition of his homeland flooding.

It stands at 150 cubits (68 metres) - three-quarters of the length of a football pitch.

Noah's Ark in the Netherlands


Life-size models of giraffes, elephants, lions, crocodiles, zebras, bison and other animals greet visitors to the Dutch treat.

"In 1992, I had a dream that Holland will become flooded.

"The next day, I found a book about Noah's Ark in the local bookshop, and since then, my dream has been to build the Ark," says Huibers.

After two years in the making the Ark has thrown open its doors in the town of Schagen, north Holland.

Visitors were stunned. Mary Starosciak said: "It's past comprehension, I knew the story of Noah, but I had no idea the boat would have been so big."

Huiber's Ark may prove more than just a tourist attraction.

Environmental campaigner Al Gore predicts low-lying Holland will flood in future due to global warming.

The ark will sail to cities in Netherlands, Germany and Belgium in the next couple of months carrying live and stuffed animals, as well as religious information.