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"I heard ten thousand whispering and nobody listening" - Bob Dylan
It is a sad thought that perhaps in the near future we can dedicate an entire museum to stuffed animal species, which have recently become extinct in the wild. How long before the fate of gorillas, rhinoceroses and sea turtles is finally sealed and the memory of their existence will only live on in museum rooms and documentaries?
I had that thought in mind after a visit to the Prehistoric Museum in Elche.
Visitors can marvel at the skeletons of the dinosaurs that populated our planet millions of years ago. The museum has a collection of approximately 1,200 fossils and reconstructions that can be viewed. Among them are a five-meter long sea lizard, reconstructions and remains of life-size dinosaurs, the gigantic lower jaw of a mastodon, and remains of the oldest porcupine ancestor.
The small museum houses three rooms, which highlight different periods. A three-dimensional and interactive video will also be shown, which gives an insight into life on the seabed of some 500 million years ago. The video is based on fossils found from that period.
The museum offers guided tours for a maximum of 10 people. A reservation is required for this. For opening hours you should visit their website.
When leaving the museum, which is very interesting and well worth a visit, I caught myself with a cynical thought: to show the animals that are now threatened with extinction, we will soon not have to use skeletons, but we can show stuffed animals. Is that what humanity calls progress? If so, it is deeply sad. It seems that countless people in the world are concerned about the fate of many animal species, but those in power who can do something about it still refuse to listen.
A virtual tour of the museum is also possible and a good alternative with current travel restrictions.
