Mr. Cavitt's request about kits and trunks brings up an issue regarding
real objects versus models or reproductions.

I'm at an Aquarium, where the primary connection with the visitor is, of
course, the live animals.  Since for the safety of the visitors and the
animals very few of our animals can be touched, zoos and aquariums have
for many years used skins, dried specimens, bones, and the like with
visitors and kits for loan, as mentioned.

But now, as more reproductions are being used instead of these biofacts,
are we losing something basic?  There are good reasons for using
reproductions in some cases, but is there a point where we are no longer
providing contact with the real?

The rationale for using reproductions comes from several points of view:
1.      Popularity of such programs (i.e. high attrition rate)
2.      Cost (expensive to prepare/obtain)
3.      Ethics
                In the case of purchased biological specimens, such a
seahorses or piranhas, are we encouraging the destruction of wild
populations, and even if the populations are not endangered, is it
proper to use an animal in this way, even for educational purposes?
4.       Realism
                A  dried part of an animal may be a distortion of what
the animal would look like in life (such as sharks, with a cartilaginous
skeleton, shrinking and wrinkling when dried, as well as smelling rather
pungent).
5.      Visitor sensitivity
        Some adults have questioned the use of real specimen parts as
unnecessarily bringing up the fact of animal death to their children.
        Some people feel the use of real specimens, even if obtained
from natural mortality, encourages disrespect for the animal

Real specimens remain a high interest and contact point with many (but
not all) visitors, and teachers often list contact with the real
specimens during a class one of the best parts of classes.

And of course we have the point of what goes out in loan boxes or
outreach programs that are used independent of the museum or aquarium or
zoo sponsoring the program.  What's the "real" there and how do we make
decisions about what to include and what to exclude.

Comments?