The Dead Zoo

Today as a clan we visited the Bean Museum, aka the dead zoo. It is a wildlife museum full of taxidermy mammals, reptiles, and birds, oh my! Growing up my father was always a major player in the neighborhood scouting program. This meant we made a voyage, yes I tagged along with the boy scouts, to this museum at least once a year. We would do bingo sheets, watch the dioramas, and on occasion pet alive snakes and turtles. I loved it. I dominated at Name That Rare Bird Species and E-C-O-L-O-G-Y matching games. 

Now though, not so much. The novelty has worn off, the magic has died, and now all I see is a vast hoard of dead animals. Granted, I liked to remember all of the good times I have had at the dead zoo. Seeing things I recognized and making jokes with my little brother while we passed bust after bust of crazy horned antelope.  There are many memories tied to the Bean Museum. This is why I am torn about the new building that will be going up to replace it. A shiny new Bean Museum is in our future local friends. At least, that is what a diorama claims, and I am an expert in diorama. This means Things are going to be moved and changed. Animals will be all a jumble. No more will I be the first to spot a blue footed booby. So I am glad we made this voyage and shared in fond memories. 

Though the exhibits are not nearly as riveting to me now as they once were, I still enjoyed them for the most part. I love the rotating lion snagging the antelope. I love the gigantic elephant. I even love the cougar, but who doesn't love a good cougar on BYU campus? I admit, there are things about this place I will not miss. Take the lower level dead animals as an example. I do not need to see rats, common birds, bats, fish and other creepy things in jars. I do not need to see specimens laying flat and missing their eyes.  That level, as far as I am concerned, is NOT part of the museum anymore. Gone, poof, vanished forever. It is a thing of nightmares and I cannot believe I was fooled into going back down there again. Ew!

had to throw in a baboon face for good measure because I didn't snag a picture of The Bachelor