Marx, E.; Koch, A., 1910. Neues aus der Schausammlung: das Indische Nashorn. Bericht des Senckenbergischen Naturforschenden Gesellschaft 41 (3): 161-171, figs. 1-7
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Captive - Europe |
| Subject: |
Museums |
| Species: |
Indian Rhino |
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Female Rhinoceros unicornis euthanized in Frankfurt Zoo on 24 Aug 1909. Immediately after the death of the animal, it was put on its side and we began with the sculpturing in plaster. That was hard work. To make a model of one side of the animal was sufficient. Due to the animal's size, this could only be done in pieces, and we had to pay special attention to the modelling of the folds. At last we had the pieces together with the number of their order. Now we finished the measurements, the animal was 3,25 m long and 1,68 m high. The second stage was the removal of the skin, and this had to be done quickly to ensure that the skin was safe by evening due to the warm weather and the possibility of changes by the pressure of the heavy animal. All went well, except when we came to the head, the removal of the skin at the spot where the horn is attached it became difficult. We therefore detached the entire head from the body. In the museum, the skin was soaked in water to remove all dirt and dust, and we still took casts of the muscles of the front and hind legs, shoulder and hoofs. After this also the bones were cleaned and the entire skeleton was taken to the museum.
In the museum we had started with the preparation of the skin. The skin had to be moved with chains and ropes as it was 15 zentner in weight. To get as much as possible the original form, we had to cut off any part of the underside of the skin to make it as thin as possible to allow salt and Alaun to enter the skin and to preserve it from rotting. Otherwise we also would be unable to put the skin on the plaster model later. It took three weeks and we cut off about 9 Zentner of this total.
Formerly the skins were filled, but now we try to make it look as naturalistic as possible. This is only possible to make a cast of the animal as much as possible resembling the living animal and then to put the skin on this cast. It took us seven months for the entire process but the result was quite good.
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Neues aus der Schausammlung: das Indische Nashorn
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