When drivers encounter roadkill, their instinct is often to swerve to avoid hitting the animal, stop to move it off the roadway, or notify local officials. However, residents of Armidale, located in the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, have a different approach: they pull over, carefully wrap the deceased creature, and deliver it to the Natural History Museum in their city.<\/p>\n
This practice has resulted in the museum currently housing around 40 koalas in its freezer, awaiting taxidermy when visited by ABC. The museum’s collections manager, Dr. Heidi Kolkert, is also preparing an additional 37 koalas for research purposes.<\/p>\n
Dr. Kolkert, who instructs zoology at the University of New England, the institution that manages the museum, reports that all the deceased koalas come from public donations, typically found dead on roads or local properties. These animals are eventually displayed in the museum or shared with other universities for research initiatives.<\/p>\n
During the peak season from August to February, when koalas are actively seeking mates, Dr. Kolkert receives donations of koalas two to three times weekly. Despite the sadness associated with the loss of so many koalas, she finds solace in the fact that their deaths contribute to meaningful research.<\/p>\n
“It’s a tragic situation, but at least they are serving a greater purpose in the field of research,” she states. “Often, individuals who have never seen a koala get an opportunity to observe one from our collection.”<\/p>\n
Among the dedicated volunteers at the museum is Summer Farrelly, a zoology student. Initially, Summer began volunteering to fulfill degree requirements but has since committed to regular volunteering, assisting Dr. Kolkert with the care and management of various specimens.<\/p>\n
“The majority of specimens come from public donations,” Summer notes. While some may find it unsettling to work closely with deceased animals, she emphasizes the positive aspects of the experience.<\/p>\n
“The insights we gain from these specimens and their educational value are truly remarkable,” Summer expresses. “Being involved in their preservation is, in my opinion, worthwhile.”<\/p>\n
Summer has learned the process of preparing study skins, which entails removing the internal organs of animals, and is currently acquiring taxidermy skills. Taxidermy encompasses the techniques of skinning, cleaning, and preserving an animal’s hide while retaining its fur, scales, or feathers, constructing the animal’s form using stuffing and various materials, and finally mounting the outer layer onto this framework.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When drivers encounter roadkill, their instinct is often to swerve to avoid hitting the animal, stop to move it off the roadway, or notify local officials. However, residents of Armidale, located in the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, have a different approach: they pull over, carefully wrap the deceased creature, and deliver it to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6941,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1225,43,1571,1602,1676,1300,1675],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6942","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-au-animals","category-australia","category-au-higher-education","category-au-libraries-museums-and-galleries","category-au-scientific-research","category-au-universities","category-au-zoology"],"yoast_head":"\n