[Nhcoll-l] Freezing Polar Bears?

[m.kieron at musnathist.com]

Hi all,

I noticed Anthrenus activity around a pair of polar bears on exhibit. 
First, is it a good idea to freeze them? Our freezer only goes down to 
-10ºF. Second, how do we encapsulate them for freezing? It seems limited 
to the paw of one but I do not want to take a chance with 100+ year old 
historic specimens on exhibit.

The case they are in should have been air-tight (smooth surfaces and the 
lid weighs at least 500 pounds). Is there a good gasket material we can 
use to prevent this in the future?

Thanks,
Mike K.

Michael W. Kieron
Curator
Museum of Natural History & Planetarium
Roger Williams Park
1000 Elmwood Avenue,
Providence, RI 02907
(401) 785-9457 x246
(401) 461-5146 (fax)
www.providenceri.com/museum
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