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| Museum staff are meticulously preparing animal specimens, step by step restoring them for exhibition |
Nature Brought Back to Life
Behind the sun bears, pangolins, and king cobras neatly poised on their exhibition pedestals lies an intricate story of “revival”. Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Hoa, Deputy Head in charge of the Research and Collections Division and a hands-on practitioner in specimen preparation, shared: “When the specimens first arrive, they are often little more than raw animal remains, sometimes already partially decomposed. To transform them into exhibition pieces, our staff must patiently peel back each layer of skin, meticulously remove soft tissues, treat the material with anti-mold chemicals, and only then does the shaping and mounting process begin. For larger specimens such as bears or pythons, the degreasing stage alone, preventing oils from seeping to the surface, can take several months to complete”.
In 2024, the Museum completed the preparation of numerous rare specimens, including the gray-shanked douc langur - an endemic and endangered primate species, 5 king cobras, one sun bear (with both skin and skeletal components), and 1 Javan pangolin for traveling exhibitions. Notably, many of these specimens went beyond traditional taxidermy displays. In addition to mounted skins, they were accompanied by accurately articulated skeletal structures, enabling their dual use for both scientific research and public exhibition.
Mr. Le Nguyen Thoi Trung, Deputy Director in charge of the Museum, emphasized: “A specimen can only be considered successful when it faithfully preserves anatomical characteristics while also creating a sense of closeness for viewers. The public must perceive it as an animal that once lived, not as an artificial model”. For this reason, specimen preparation demands a delicate fusion of biological knowledge, conservation techniques, and the aesthetic sensibility of the experts involved.
This work is also inseparable from the support of research institutes. Mr. Ha Thanh Tung, M.Sc., a specialist from the Museum of Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Lam Dong Province, noted: “The humidity in Central Vietnam is extremely high. Without proper treatment, bones can develop mold and yellowing, while skin may deteriorate and fur can fall out. Therefore, from the very first stages of preparation, specimens must be handled with great care and in strict adherence to established procedures. This is essential to ensure that both skeletal and skin specimens can endure long-term under local climatic conditions, rather than deteriorating after just a few years”.
Beyond the dedication of the museum staff and specialists, contributions from the community and relative agencies also enrich the diversity of the Museum’s collections. Specimens such as pangolins or king cobras are often derived from confiscated evidence in cases of illegal wildlife trade, while others are donated or transferred from research institutes and various organizations within and beyond the city. As a result, each artifact carries its own story, a journey from an animal that perished in the wild to one that is “brought back to life” within the Museum.
Preservation - Sustaining Life for Specimens
With over 5,000 specimens and prepared samples in storage, the Museum’s staff must maintain a rigorous, year-round monitoring regime. Their work includes checking alcohol and formalin concentrations in preservation jars, replacing solutions when they become cloudy, removing dust, drying plant specimens, preventing termite infestation, replacing desiccant beads in insect collections, applying chemicals to protect skin specimens from fur-eating pests, and continuously monitoring freezer temperatures used for bone and tissue storage.
Every year, the Museum carries out multiple rounds of regular and ongoing inspections, implementing a wide range of specific measures, including treating fish and coral specimens, re-drying wood collections, monitoring the weathering of geological and paleontological materials, and reinforcing specimens where adhesives have begun to fail. The entire process is supported by an array of equipment, including air-conditioning systems, dehumidifiers, drying cabinets, and freezers, which must operate almost continuously to withstand the harsh climatic conditions of Central Vietnam.
According to Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Hoa, preserving specimens is much like caring for a living organism, requiring patience and constant observation. This meticulous attention ensures that each specimen not only endures over time, but also retains its original form, continuing to serve the public for many years to come.
Mr. Le Huu Hai, a resident in Thuy Xuan Ward, Hue City, shared after his visit: “Seeing specimens of the sun bear or the pangolin in such an almost intact condition made me truly understand the effort behind their preservation. These are not merely exhibition pieces, but messages of respect for nature”.
Amid the digital transformation, the Museum of Nature in the Central Coastal Region has implemented a specimen data management system, assigning unique identification codes to each specimen and regularly updating their conservation status.
Mr. Thoi Trung stated: “The Museum’s rare specimen collections allow the public, through observation, to clearly perceive the painstaking care and precision involved in every stage of handling, preparation, and restoration. These specimens are not only “living evidence” of nature’s biodiversity, but also carry significant educational value in anatomy and taxonomy. Moreover, the digitization of specimens provides visitors with additional data and scientific information presented vividly, enhancing curiosity and the spirit of exploration, especially among younger generations who favor immersive, hands-on learning experiences”.