Our much loved croc or rather gharial has been repaired, restored and generally given a tidying up and is now back in Swindon. It is currently in storage but will be displayed soon we hope. In the before and after photos below you can see the restored teeth and the rather convincing eye and on the right, Cllr Marina Strinkovsky, the Cabinet Member for Culture, Art and Heritage admiring the gharial.
Here's the press release info from 5 November:
Swindon’s 100-year-old crocodile is back from its makeover and looking better than ever.
The much-loved, 15-foot gharial recently went off to be restored by specialist natural sciences conservator Simon Moore, following damage and natural wear and tear to the creature.
Originally a hunting trophy, the Gharial’s first known owner was Major Morton Hiles, who lived in India between 1916 and 1922.
Hiles later lived in Warminster and gave the gharial to Warminster School. In 1931, the school’s vicar offered the specimen to Swindon Museum, as they needed more classroom space.
Work included:
• Replacing teeth with scrap ivory to restore the original look
• Replacing the old plastic eyes with new, more realistic glass eyes
• Restoring claws on the feet
• Adding back missing pieces of the tail
The restoration was funded from the regular collections care and conservation budget held by the museums team.
Gharials are currently a critically endangered species, with experts estimating that there are fewer than 1,500 left alive in the wild.
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