(Above) Staff at Ipswich Museums move their large Grey Seal
Staff at Colchester and Ipswich Museum Service recently came to the rescue of a large Grey Seal – one of Ipswich Museum's treasured exhibits in its Suffolk Natural History Gallery.
Experts at the Museum discovered that the large taxidermy seal had become infested with pests. Beetles and moths eat natural fibres, which cause damage to natural history specimens, so staff at the Suffolk Biological Record Centre had to act quickly.
The seal was promptly removed from display and carefully transported to a large walk-in freezer, one of the largest in the region, on the Museum's premises.
After ten days at minus 40 degrees centigrade all the insects had perished, and the seal was carefully transported home back to the first floor gallery.
Treating the seal in this way is the preferred conservation method, as chemical sprays can leave residues, which may have a long-term, destructive effect.
