Dead animal museum wants wild boars

The Natural History Museum in Rotterdam has expressed its wish to exhibit the wild boars that were shot dead by a hunter last week. The hunter himself is the rightful owner of the cadavers, and will have to make the call whether the museum can buy the boars or not, the Algemeen Dagblad reports. Museum curator Kees Moeliker says that the museum wants the boars because they have a story. Their story has been one of much national outrage in the last week, and is the subject of a national discussion about the regulations surrounding wild animal control. The boars were in the first place rescued from a canal in Limburg. After this, a government-employed hunter made the call to shoot the boars that survived the swim. Points of contention have been that he did so on Sunday, the only day in the week when hunting is not technically allowed, and that he shot the wild animals in captivity. Now, the museum wants the boars for the Dead Animals with a Story collection. This exhibit also has other animals on show, such as the Dominomus (Domino sparrow), the Parliament mouse and the McFlurry hedgehog. If he wants the animals, Moeliker will have to come into contact with the hunter who is the only one with the authority to give the boars away. The boars' bodies are currently being kept for investigation. Researchers from the Alterra institute in Wageningen want to know what family the boars came from and if they had any diseases.

Treurig. De McFlurry-egel. pic.twitter.com/S2GsvcW6Kl

— Bas Horsten (@__bash) May 18, 2013

Tentoonstelling 'Dode dieren met een verhaal' in @HetNatuurhist in R'dam bezocht. Laat ook relatie mens-dier zien. pic.twitter.com/L347Hzpss9

— Dierenmuseum (@Dierenmuseum) May 11, 2013