Central Museum plans to display new specimen of stuffed animals and birds

CENTRAL Museum has proposed to modify its Taxidermy Gallery with new stuffed birds and wild animals in a bid to modernise its collection. The authorities are making efforts to approach the Maharashtra Forest Department for seeking access to dead wild animals and birds for stuffing and mouting them in the gallery for future generations. The move comes with the Directorate of Archaeology & Museums, Government of Maharashtra, filling up the post of taxidermist in Central Museum which was lying vacant for years. If the proposal of Directorate of Archaeology & Museums gets cleared and new specimen are mounted in the gallery, it would add another feather to the cap of 156-year-old Central Museum. Taxidermy is an art of preparing and mounting skin of animals in life-like manner.

However, there are ‘roadblocks’ because of Wildlife Protection Act which does not permit a taxidermist to work on endangered species. Dr Virag Sontakke, Curator and Assistant Director, Directorate of Archaeology & Museums, Government of Maharashtra, said, “We are making efforts to add some more specimen of wild animals and birds.

We will have to seek special permission from the Chief Wildlife Warden to get access to dead animals and birds for taxidermy which is mandatory as per law.” Due to fear of smuggling, the dead wild animals, including tigers and leopards, are burnt by Forest Department, he added. Dr Sontakke said, “We are exploring all possibilities of getting access to wild animals after their death even from Gorewada Rescue Centre and Wild Life Taxidermy Centre, Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Borivali, Mumbai, if permission is granted by Chief Wildlife Warden.”

Using scientific techniques, taxidermists had set wild animals and birds in poses showing their natural behaviour in different museums across India and abroad, he added. When asked as to how Dr Santosh Gaikwad (country’s only taxidermist) practising taxidermy so far, Dr Sontakke said that he was granted permission by the Chief Wildlife Warden. About the existing taxidermy trophies in Central Museum, Dr Sontakke informed that three stuffed tigers, a leopard, a bison, wild dogs, a deer, a crocodile, fish, moneys and birds have been displayed in Animals and Birds Galleries. These were displayed prior to enactment of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 by the Parliament, he added. He informed that these stuffed birds and wild animals are conserved on scientific lines by experts from National Research Laboratory for Conservation, Lucknow.