UPDATE: I guess the task force meetings will be closed to the public. Because, you know, double down.
We can get creative with the mounts. You can have the aquarium on one side of the hall and animal dioramas on the opposite wall with creative lighting (Like LED WALLPAPER) and scenes and in cased glass with a proper ventilation system.
I don’t want to burst anyone’s bubble but we all know that even if the city council agrees to saving the collection, we won’t be able to save it all. Some of the pieces (around 10%) probably won’t be able to be saved. Some of the other pieces may be able to be saved, but just for research purposes and not display purposes since a lot of them are endangered species. Keeping hair and tissue samples from these mounts is essential. But most of the collection will be able to be saved, repaired and put on display.
I’m not going to get into the money argument about how much this will cost or the rumors about donations being withheld.
Let’s just pretend for a moment a large donor comes forward and agrees to pay for most of the repair and new displays, let’s take the opportunity to create one of the most unique aquariums and natural history museums to ever exist in the country.
I do agree with the city on one aspect, we shouldn’t give the collection away. The taxpayers own those mounts and whether the zoo likes it or not, they are in care of them. Some private attorneys have even speculated that the city may be forced to save them do to past gifting/purchase agreements?
These mounts need to remain publicly owned and they need to be saved, for anything, at least historical reasons.