Senator Monday Okpebholo’s Maryland, USA Statement: Museums Can Indeed House Animals

Senator Monday Okpebholo’s Maryland, USA Statement: Museums Can Indeed House Animals

By

Adolphus Arebanmhen Aletor

In a recent speech in Maryland, USA, the Senator representing Edo Central Senatorial Zone, Senator Monday Okpebholo aka Akpakomiza made a statement that has been met with ridicule and scorn. When he was challenging the achievements of the current government of Mr Godwin Obaseki in Edo State, he said, “There are no animals in the museum.” While many have assumed he meant to say “zoo” and are ridiculing his supposed ignorance or semantic substitution, I would like to offer a different perspective.

In his words from the clip made available, “….for me it is very unwise first of all to destroy a hospital and build a museum and the new museum is not even completed and there are no animals in the museum, so I don’t know whether somebody will prefer animals more than human beings. It is barbaric. It is not acceptable by me. My government by the grace of God, will allow the poor to breathe.”

The Senator’s statement, though unexpected, is not entirely incorrect. While zoos are dedicated to housing living animals, museums can also feature animal exhibits, albeit in a different context. Natural history museums, in particular, often display taxidermied specimens, fossils, and skeletons of various animal species. This is the context under which the Senator challenged the current government of Edo state.

Over the years, some animals have gone extinct. They are only available to generations at the museum either in the form of fossils. Some of these include Dinosaurs, Passenger Pigeon, Saber-toothed Tiger, Steller’s Sea Cow, Baiji Dolphin amongst others.

These extinct animals are often featured in museum exhibits, serving as a reminder of the importance of conservation and preservation.

A variety of species of non-extinct animals are also found in the museum in the form of taxidermy, that is, the craft of preparing animal skins of dead animals and birds and filling them with a special material to make them look as if they are alive. In the context of the Senators challenge, the Senator had hoped that if the government could not finish the project they could have at least furnished the place with these taxidermic samples at the minimum.

Having animals in the museum is appropriate and in order, as evidenced by world class museum, which the Senator has visited in the course of his travels, like; 1) The American Museum of Natural History in New York City, which features an extensive collection of taxidermied animals, including a giant blue whale and a T. rex skeleton( belongs to the family of Dinosaurs). 2)The Natural History Museum in London, which boasts a vast collection of animal specimens, including a giant squid and a diplodocus skeleton. 3) The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, which is home to Sue, the largest and most complete T. rex skeleton ( a type of Dinosaur) ever found and 4) Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. with a large collection of Dinosaur fossils.

Those quick to mock the Senator are to reconsider their stance. His statement, though unconventional, was not a gaffe. It highlights the importance of understanding the nuances of language and the diverse ways in which animals are presented in educational settings.

This knowledge confirms his maturity and exposure as someone who has widely travelled.

Let us celebrate the Senator’s unintended clarification of the overlap between museums and zoos, which before now was unknown to a large number of people whose education cuts across industry, rather than ridiculing his supposed mistake. By doing so, we can foster a more inclusive and informed dialogue about the natural world its wonders and the Senators level of exposure.