Take a peek behind the scenes of the Yorkshire Museum's renowned taxidermy collection

Curators check the conditions of the taxidermy artifacts at the Yorkshire Museum in York. Senior Curator Andrew Woods checks a brown bear on display at the museum.

The museum, in York Museum Gardens, is home to a nationally significant natural science collection, which includes a wide range of specimens, including meteorites, passenger pigeons, dodo bones and an almost complete moa skeleton.

Curator Sarah King can be seen carefully studying the museum’s red lory parrot, while senior curator Andrew Wood is pictured checking on the popular peacock, located in the museum’s library.

The curatorial team regularly look over the exhibits as part of wider routine environmental checks to ensure the correct conditions are maintained for collections while the museum has been closed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sarah King, the Curator of Natural Science, checks the red lory on display at the Yorkshire Museum in York.

The last 12 months have been tough for the York Museum’s Trust as 70 per cent of its normal income is generated by visitors and the lockdowns have hit it hard.

The museum trust would like to thank everyone who has supported it through the difficult time. Donations are still gratefully received.