Conservation departments
The taxidermy section is responsible for:
Birds and mammals are preserved and mounted by using the natural skin arranged over a manikin. Large mammals may take six months to prepare whereas a small bird or mammal may take only two days.
Fish and reptiles are usually moulded and cast. The finished cast is then painted by hand to reproduce the original colour. The same technique of moulding and casting is used to make artificial rocks, stones and trees to be used as natural bases for the specimens.
Freeze-drying is used to preserve invertebrate specimens, fungi and plant material. Every year, especially in autumn, fungi is prepared for the botany collections or display.
The conservation of the collections plays a major part of what we do. For example, there is a rolling programme to conserve the mounted bird collection. Each bird is examined and any necessary conservation work carried out. This ensures that the bird is in the best possible condition, correctly labelled and ready for display.
In 2002 sixty birds and mammals were conserved for the Earl and the Pussycat exhibition. Some of these specimens were over a hundred years old and required major conservation. A Lord Derby’s eland, the largest living antelope, was obtained and mounted for this exhibition.
The planning and construction of temporary displays and dioramas throughout our venues is ongoing. The taxidermy section is involved with other departments to produce these exhibitions. The taxidermists collect and preserve vegetation to ensure that the specimens are displayed in a natural surrounding.
The section is often consulted by the police (wildlife section), the RSPCA and the general public on a range of issues. These include the condition and identification of specimens and whether the specimen is legal.