[Nhcoll-l] [EXTERNAL] Question about large pelt storage

[Baker, Barry]

Whole pelts/hides are extremely useful to wildlife forensic scientists. We
have a large collection of hides/pelts that we use on a daily basis to help
identify similar items submitted as forensic evidence in criminal
investigations involving the illegal wildlife trade.

The Wildlife Trafficking Working Group of ICOM NATHIST (International
Council of Museums, Committee for Museums and Collections of Natural
History) has produced a white paper outlining a framework for the role of
museum collections in combating the global crisis of wildlife trafficking:

https://icomnathisttraffic.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/wildlife-trafficking-white-paper-oct-4-2016-final1.pdf


If you're looking to divest yourself of your pelt collection at the Royal
BC Museum, consider reaching out to CITES enforcement officials within
Environment Canada. They may be able to use the materials for training,
education, and enforcement purposes. Many wildlife enforcement
organizations now also use canine units to locate illegal wildlife products
in international transit. Such museum items could be used to train the dogs.

Increasingly, museum collections have the potential to serve as critical
resources to applied scientists and enforcement officials combating the
illegal wildlife trade. I encourage curators to consider these applied uses
when evaluating the role and significance of collections in their care.

Sincerely,

*Barry W. Baker - CWFS
<https://www.wildlifeforensicscience.org/become-certified/>, RPA
<http://www.rpanet.org/>*
*Senior Forensic Scientist - Morphology*


*USFWS National Fish & Wildlife Forensics Laboratory*
*Morphology Section*
*1490 East Main Street*
*Ashland, Oregon 97520-1310 USA*
*www.fws.gov/lab <http://www.fws.gov/lab>*



On Fri, Jul 12, 2019 at 12:30 PM Hanke, Gavin RBCM:EX <
ghanke at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca> wrote:

> After a fur vault humidity problem, I am wondering what is the value of
> intact pelts of large mammals
>
>
>
> Researchers take hair samples to examine stable isotopes to evaluate
> ecology, or snips of skin for DNA, but no one has needed an intact pelt for
> study. Others have taken 10-20 hairs for scanning electron microscopy to
> compare to stomach or scat samples. The closest we came was when Ministry
> of Transport needed to get photos for a Road-Kill ID guide, but the entire
> pelt was not needed.
>
>
>
> Wondering if we should only remove square swatches from future specimens,
> dry the skin/hair swatches (no chemicals), then store them in large
>  ziplock bags (with silica gel to control moisture). These bags could be
> stored on shelves in Durphy Boxes.
>
>
>
> It also is inconvenient to tan hides and expensive. Perhaps smaller
> swatches would be the answer – better for storage, easier to prepare in
> house and not needing a dedicated cold room.
>
>
>
> Cheers and thanks for your thoughts,
>
> Gavin
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *__________________________________________________________________________________________*
>
> *Dr. Gavin Hanke   *Curator, Vertebrate Zoology | Knowledge
> ROYAL BC MUSEUM
> Traditional Territory of the Lekwungen (Songhees and Xwsepsum Nations)
> 675 Belleville Street, Victoria, BC Canada V8W 9W2
> T 250-952-0479 | F 250-387-0534
>
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