THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: At a time when the arrival of eight cheetahs in the country has attracted a lot of attention, a stuffed male African cheetah and the skin of another cheetah are among the exhibits proudly showcased at the Natural History Museum in Thiruvananthapuram.They originally belonged to the Thiruvananthapuram Zoo and following their death in 1986 they were taxidermy mounted or stuffed by Van Ingen & Van Ingen of Mysore, then best known taxidermist in India, for a now paltry sum of Rs 3,000.
When the arrival of cheetahs from Namibia at Kuno National Park hogged the headlines on Saturday, old timers recall how the Thiruvananthapuram Zoo also had five cheetahs until 1986. According to the stock book at the zoo, the first of these cheetahs had arrived way back on July 9, 1945. The second one came on December 10, 1973. The remaining three cheetahs were also procured under a barter system during the 70s and 80s. But since the particular page on the stock book got damaged due to wear and tear, it is not clear from where the cheetahs were brought.
Abu Sivadas, director of Thiruvananthapuram Museum and Zoo recalled in a chat with the TNIE that it was during the tenure of the late P R Chandran that the dead cheetahs were sent to Van Ingen & Van Ingen of Mysore in 1986 to have them stuffed and put on display at the NH Museum.
“The name Van Ingen & Van Ingen is misleading to some extent since it has a Dutch connotation. But in reality they were master taxidermists from the UK during the days of the British Raj. They had a gala time when game hunting had been a thriving sport among the various rulers during the pre-Independence era. Van Ingen & Van Ingen used to stuff 400 tigers per year as those days the rulers had the habit of keeping stuffed wild cats as trophy mounts in their palaces,” said Abu Sivadas.
Among the scores of dead animals being preserved and put on display at the recently refurbished NH Museum, the two cheetahs which are of African origin are also placed at vantage points. Despite being 36-years-old, they still look as if they are alive. Since the death of the cheetah in 1986, the city zoo has not got another pair.
Dr Jacob Alexander, senior veterinary surgeon, Thiruvananthapuram Zoo, told TNIE that the zoo master plan approved by the Central Zoo Authority has not given permission to procure cheetah.
“There should also be an enclosure solely for the cheetah,” added Dr Alexander.