Animal collection to debut in Science Center

Many new specimens will be added to the collection that already exists in the Estelle Siebens Science Center in the next few weeks as the result of a generous donation.

Many new specimens will be added to the collection that already exists in the Estelle Siebens Science Center in the next few weeks as the result of a generous donation

“I am thrilled and very grateful for the donation that made these contributions possible. Due to my career path of veterinary medicine, this opportunity has exposed me to animals that I may be working with in the future,” senior Aubrey Hauswirth said.

The new collection includes an entire elephant skeleton standing 10 feet high and spanning 15 feet long, as well as a 16 foot tall giraffe skeleton. Other remarkable pieces include a rhinoceros skeleton, a bengal tiger, a snow leopard and a black jaguar.

“We’re lucky to have some very exotic stuff. There’s no way anyone else really gets to have that,” Professor of Biology Rick Lampe said.

All the new exhibits, as well as the existing ones already on display came from the Battle Hill Museum in Battle Creek, IA.

The museum served as an educational facility, but shut down operation in mid-October. Former BVU student, Dennis Laughian, operated the museum and performed all the restoration work on the animals.

The animals were donated to Laughian for educational use when they passed away from natural causes in a zoo. Laughian would then go pick up the animals and restore them to a form where they could continue educating.

Since the animals were donated to the Battle Hill Museum, Laughian could not sell them for profit when he closed the museum. When looking for a place for the animals to go, he contacted Lampe, and offered them up by donation to BVU.

“My reaction was amazement, excitement, and awe. I was like a kid at Christmas unpacking boxes excitedly saying ‘I can’t believe this,’” Lampe said.

Along with helping BVU, Lampe notes that Laughian has been very generous in helping Ida County and Sac County develop exhibits as well.
“He is doing this as a hobby. He had a Board of Directors and they operated this not-for-profit agency until just recently when they decided to close it. The expense and the effort is a bit beyond my comprehension,” Lampe said.

The newest group of specimens arrived on campus three weeks ago and includes around 130 mammals, 30 birds, and 20 reptiles.

All of the specimens will be displayed on the second floor of the Science Center.

“We’re trying to keep them up here because other disciplines have their own things to show. I’m not trying to invade anyone else’s space,” Lampe said. “We have the ledge area, which is a design feature of building, and we never really thought of it as a display area. It’s going to be pretty nice.”

BVU owns four private collections of animals. All of the collections came from a museum, including a bird collection that came from a taxidermist in Manson, IA.

The collections include 330 birds, 20 mounted sport fish, an Alaska collection, and an Africa collection. The Alaska collection includes the big Kodiak brown bear already on display, a polar bear, a caribou, and a moose, among others. The Africa collection includes many exhibits such as a number of mounted heads of different species, various hides, hyena skin, sable skin, an elephant ear, head, and tail, and a leopard.

In the collection, a master catalog is used to record all the specimens and assigns them a number. The exhibits must be recorded in the catalog before they are displayed.

“What slows me down now is that I’m also required to make a photographic entry. Not only do I write it in, I enter it into a computer and then have to take a photo. It’s a good idea; it just takes more time,” Lampe said.

The BVU collection contains a total of over 1,000 specimens, 500 of which still need to be cataloged before they are displayed.

There are currently only about 40 birds and 20 mammals on display now. The rest of the specimens are set to be displayed in the next few weeks.
Apart from simple aesthetic appeal, the specimens provide a unique educational opportunity to the students involved in the science studies.
“BVU now has access to creatures that most people would only dream of seeing. Students can compare the structures of mammals during class and they don’t have to rely on the Internet or textbook to show them different species,” Hauswirth said.

In the past week, Lampe’s classes ask students to look at things such as feet of various animals and to study hair, horns, and antlers.

“I have a collection that is extraordinary now and lets students study those hands-on. You don’t just study it by looking at a picture. You get to see it, handle it, and touch it,” Lampe said.

The excitement extends beyond the students enrolled in science classes, and the collection has an impact on everyone.

“You don’t have to be a science student to enjoy the benefits of the specimens. For students outside of the school of science, just admiring the recently acquired specimens may help them to identify creatures seen on vacations in the future,” Hauswirth said.

“For non science students, these put into perspective the size and variety of animals around the world. They get to see things, if they walk through the science center, that they normally don’t see,” Radke said.