A few pictures of the stuffing process conducted in public...

Galerie Flickr

 

See also our Play List identifying the Robert Houdeville's videos, one donor who was passionate about this adventure.

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A first in France : TWIGA is mounted in fornt of the public

"The Abyssinian giraffe owned by the Museum of Toulouse played an essential part, as, in 1844 – and for the very first time in Europe – it became possible to discover the complete anatomy of this as-yet unknown animal. Modern-day techniques have changed considerably. Thanks to participatory sponsorship, the Museum of Toulouse has been able to exhibit a specimen of a giraffe that is more representative of contemporary taxidermy. Thanks to some of the donations, it was mounted in front of the public, in one the Museum's exhibition areas.
And this is really revolutionary, as it has never been done in any French museum!"
Brian Aïello, taxidermist for the Museum of Toulouse

Rarely has a museum's history been as closely bound to that of an animal as Toulouse's Natural History Museum has been bound to giraffes.

1865 A strange mammal from Abyssinia As an animal destined to be shown to the public during fairs and exhibition, the Abyssinian giraffe arrived in Toulouse by chance in 1843, brought here during a visit by the animal leader who owned her. And here she died, felled by the harshness of winter in western climes – or, as some have said, from nostalgia for her homeland… Her posthumous fate was to serve science: her remains, which were entrusted to scientists in Toulouse was the first specimen of its kind to be dissected and minutely studied. This study made history in zoology and the giraffe was exhibited when the Natural History Museum in Toulouse opened in 1865.

2015 TWIGA, a remarkable specimen of African giraffe An African giraffe, a great male, enters the Museum of Toulouse. Name: Twiga* Species: Giraffa camelopardalis Size: 5.40 m Gender: Male Origin: South Africa * Means Giraffe in Swahili, the dialect spoken throughout the African territory where the largest population of wild giraffes is to be found. For its 150th anniversary, the Museum of Toulouse had decided to paid tribute to this species, and thanks to participatory sponsorship, it has chosen to exhibit a specimen that is more representative of contemporary taxidermy.

The expertise of specialists working for the taxidermy laboratory attached to the Museum of Toulouse at the service of science and heritage Ever since it was created in 1865, the Natural History Museum in Toulouse has always been lucky enough to have staff that possess the skills required to stuff animals. Still today, those who possess these preparation skills (taxidermy, osteology, casting and palaeontology) work hard on a daily basis to enrich the collections and contemporary testimonies of life. New laboratories on the cutting edge of preventive conservation issues, and able to use new materials and new techniques, have been created. Stuffing of specimens There are 4 main stages in taxidermy: – skinning, to remove the specimen's skin – tanning of the skin, the aim being to ensure it is rot-proof and will not deteriorate over time – sculpture of a polyethylene mannequin that reproduces the skinned animal in movement – mounting, which consists in positioning the skin on the mannequin and sewing up the areas slit prior to the skinning process.

 

ALL FOR TWIGA: first step, the participatory sponsorship campaign

The Abyssinian giraffe is one of the oldest stuffed mammals in the collections of Toulouse's Natural History Museum. It has been one of its emblematic figures ever since the museum opened to the public in 1865.
For its 150^th anniversary, the Museum of Toulouse paid tribute to this specimen by launching a participatory sponsorship (crowdfunding) campaign aimed at financing the stuffing of a new and exceptional piece: an African giraffe named Twiga.

 

"Helping the Museum to finance the stuffing of a new giraffe is not only about enabling us to acquire an exceptional piece and helping to enrich Toulouse's heritage: it is also about being actively involved in the broadcasting of scientific information regarding wild fauna, and sharing that information with as many people as possible. By supporting the "All for Twiga" project, the sponsors have been stakeholders in a new collective experience in favour of a museum based in Toulouse.
Francis Duranthon, director of the Museum of Toulouse

 

What is participatory sponsorship?
Also known as "Crowdfunding", participatory sponsorship consists in collecting funds, which means anyone can do their bit. Anyone can give and help defend a cause or implement a project. Each donor receives something in exchange, depending on his/her disinterested donation.

Why has the Museum of Toulouse launched a participatory sponsorship campaign?
The establishment opted for a participatory approach when it re-opened. When it acquired this new heritage item, it therefore seemed obvious to suggest that the inhabitants of Toulouse should be given the opportunity to take part, to allow them to help enrich our common heritage.

 

WHAT WERE DONATIONS USED FOR?