ARLIS removes taxidermy collection 'out of an abundance of caution'

The Alaska Resources Library & Information Services — known as ARLIS — removed the Furs, Mounts and Skulls collection, which contained taxidermy pieces available for public checkout.

According to an article on the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website, pieces from the collection have been used by “elementary and secondary school teachers for Alaska animal curriculum, art classes, parents helping kids with school projects, camp counselors, artists, and agency displays.”

ARLIS is a joint federal and state library located inside the University of Alaska Anchorage Consortium Library.

In an email to The Northern Light, ARLIS Director Brandy Watts wrote that the collection was relocated to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game under the direction of UAA Environmental Health & Safety/Risk Management — or UAA EHS — “out of an abundance of caution.”

In response to questions from The Northern Light, UAA EHS Director John Huffman responded over email with further information on the removal.

“A UAA community member reported experiencing mild symptoms following an extended contact with items within the collection, which prompted ARLIS to conduct an assessment of the collection with support from UAA EHS,” wrote Huffman.

ARLIS and UAA EHS removed the collection in June 2023 to prevent any potential future concerns, even though the incident was an isolated report, wrote Huffman.

“From what I can gather, there were assessments completed on the collection. Among the chemical compounds that are typically found/used in the taxidermy process, I believe they came back within normal range,” wrote Huffman.

Huffman wrote that the chance of gases releasing from the collection over time is typically low, but can depend on factors such as how the animals are being used. 

When asked what chemical compounds were found in the assessment, Huffman wrote, “I don’t have that information. It’s the standard chemicals in use/ that were used in the taxidermy process.”

In a telephone interview with The Northern Light, local taxidermist Yukon Grubaugh of Tall Tales Taxidermy discussed what chemicals are typically used in the taxidermy process.

Grubaugh said modern-day taxidermy typically uses fiberglass-like materials to bind parts of the pieces, which dry relatively quickly and are generally harmless. However, if the taxidermy is older, it could contain arsenic or asbestos, which may be dangerous if disturbed, he said.

Public use of the taxidermy collection attracted media attention to ARLIS over the years, with multiple articles covering how members of the public can check out items from the collection for educational, art and other purposes, including a segment on the YouTube channel Great Big Story.

According to its website, ARLIS is a resource library in Anchorage, Alaska for the “Alaska Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and University of Alaska Anchorage.”

According to a project proposal related to ARLIS on the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council website, ARLIS is a separate institution from the UAA Consortium Library.

‍According to an inventory of the items, the collection was “made available at ARLIS by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and private donors.”

This report will be updated as more information becomes available.