The Delbridge Museum of Natural History has always been known for its flair for high drama, but this year, they’ve really outdone themselves. Instead of a grand finale of a report on the future of the Brockhouse taxidermy collection, we’ll have to wait another year. Talk about an intermission!
Sure, they had their reasons. According to CEO Becky Dewitz of the Great Plains Zoo, they want the “best of the best” to evaluate the collection. Apparently, the best of the best are too busy playing hide-and-seek to turn up in 2021. Must be a busy year for animal statue analysis.
Ah, the thrill of the taxidermy world, right? Well, they’ve even managed to rope in a taxidermist from Texas who services big-name retailers like Bass Pro Shop, Cabela’s and Scheels. Those retail giants sure have some high-quality stuffed animals.
On top of this, Dewitz is trying to get some museum specialists to cast an eye over the collection, but the task seems as daunting as finding a needle in a haystack. Who’d have thought that specialists wouldn’t be jumping for joy to inspect a collection that’s surrounded by rumors of arsenic contamination?
Yes, you heard it right. The museum has been under the microscope after the discovery that parts of its collection contained traces of arsenic. Now, arsenic is no strawberry jam, and it seems as though museum experts are about as keen on coming into contact with it as average folks are with a cockroach in their cereal bowl.
Meanwhile, Councilor Greg Neitzert has stepped up as the hero we didn’t know we needed. He’s provided the administration with five names of museum experts ready and eager to assess the collection. These guys have references so impeccable, they must sparkle. Like a unicorn in a china shop, they just need to be embraced.
But things are never simple. There are also legal entanglements more tangled than spaghetti on a bad day. Voters accepted a bond in the 1980s to construct the museum, but did they also sign up for an eternal commitment? The situation is murkier than a bog in November.
And then there’s the possibility of changing state laws to allow interstate transfer of museum pieces. You know, in case a wealthy collector from New York has always yearned for a taxidermied aardvark. The animal kingdom’s finest, all ready for shipping.
Of course, the major aim of all this drama is to see if these statues of nature’s splendor are earning their keep. Are they attracting enough visitors to the museum? Is it worth keeping the doors open, and the lights on? And just how many people actually linger in the museum for more than seven minutes? Is that even enough time to take in the beauty of a stuffed elephant?
All these and more dilemmas are what keeps the Delbridge Museum of Natural History vibrant and ever-complex. So, here’s to another year of mysteries, arsenic controversies, and potentially shiny new laws. Let’s hope the next act lives up to the suspense!
For those who want to dive into the drama directly, check out the original tale spun by The Dakota Scout [here](https://open.substack.com/pub/thedakotascout/p/delbridge-museum-report-wont-be-ready).