In the realm of skeletons
As soon as you enter the premises you’ll come face-to-face with a crocodile with its jaws wide open -- as if it is anxiously waiting to devour its prey. As you turn your eyes, a huge 13-feet python, with its body forming a twisted pattern, reveals itself.
These two reptiles, however, cannot close their mouth, move their limbs, or do anything, really. Only their skeletons remain on display to fascinate visitors.
Such views are abundant at the anatomy museum of Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (CVASU), where skeletons along with taxidermied and preserved animals are strewn across the 3,000 square feet indoor space.
While walking through the museum, one will come across skeletons of a friendly deer next to a towering elephant with its mighty tusks still intact and even tiny birds, among many other fascinating displays.
“This place is full of skeletons of various sizes, from those of small sparrows to deer and elephants. All this is quite educational,” said Ibrahim Hossain, a second-year student at CVASU.
Turning to a different section reveals foetuses and infants of various animals on display, preserved in glass containers. Individual animal body parts can also be seen; this is particularly helpful for veterinary students.
If that’s not one’s cup of tea, they can enjoy going through the fluffy rodents, canines and felines that went through a meticulous taxidermy process.
The museum is located at the university’s anatomy and histology department and is open to all with free entry. It was inaugurated in 2017, and its creation was financed by the University Grants Commission under the Higher Education Quality Enhancement Project.
“With its establishment, students can now acquire practical knowledge from the museum, while teachers and researchers are also benefitted,” said Prof ASM Lutful Ahasan, the department head.
And students seem to wholeheartedly agree with the professor.
Iram Ibtehaj, a first-year veterinary medicine student at CVASU, said, “We are getting the opportunity to observe bones and embryos of different mammals, birds and fish. These facilities are the basic tools for a comprehensive learning experience.”
“We normally get to learn about the internals of an animal through reading books, but the museum helps us visualise the information,” he said.
“College and school students have also become keen to know about animals and study veterinary science after visiting the museum,” Prof Ahasan said.
“This initiative will play a key role in advancing animal related work,” the professor told this correspondent.
According to CVASU sources, the authorities started collecting specimens from 2012.
Currently, there are around 60 skeletons, 30 taxidermied animals, and hundreds of preserved animal body parts, they added.
“We have collected the specimens from different areas of the country,” Prof Ahasan said.
“We are continuing our work to enrich the museum’s content,” he added.
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