Students learn art of preservation
By Huraizah Ahmad

Explaining the procedures of wet preservation to students

For years, scientists and researchers alike have practised the preservation of dead animals to facilitate the studies of a species.

The Natural History Department of Brunei Museum yesterday afternoon welcomed a delegation comprising 24 students and four teachers from Sayyidina Umar Al Khattab Secondary School.

An official from the department, Awang Haji Bakaria Haji Maramit, delivered an overview on the basic procedures and equipments required for the preservation of animals. The visit aims to encourage students to collect, preserve and exhibit specimens, therefore providing others an opportunity to study them further, said Cikgu Norsadiah bte Hj Md Raduan.

Personnel from the department later demonstrated to the delegation, both 'wet' and 'dry' techniques employed in the preservation of reptiles and mammals.

Trying their hands at both techniques, students commenced the task of skinning, dismembering and cleaning body parts, before applying preservatives, stuffing and sewing the specimens provided by the department.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin