The Unnatural History of Animals tells the remarkable story of Trinity College’s Zoological Museum, hidden in the heart of Ireland’s oldest university.

The book brings the museum’s colourful residents to life and uncovers a rich legacy of collecting from the 1800s to the present day, incorporating tales of adventure and tragedy, survival and extinction – all deeply rooted in the 25,000 animals that make up the Zoological Museum. Meet the loveable royal elephant, ‘Prince Tom’, who travelled the world with Prince Alfred (Queen Victoria’s second son) only to meet his untimely death in Dublin Zoo. Follow the final journey of ‘Ireland’s last Great Auk’, extinct since 1844. And explore the magic of discovering new things: specimens hidden away from the public view for nearly a century, forgotten about, reconciled to history, now brought back to life as a museum once in decline slowly resurrects itself.

The Unnatural History of Animals is essentially about animals and their background stories, but it’s also a book about people and connections – links to the past with portents for the future – following a company of adventurers and naturalists from Captain James Cook and Charles Darwin to Sir David Attenborough. Their paths crossed with the museum in different ways, and each has their own story to tell. Authored by the curator who has cared for the museum for over 20 years, The Unnatural History of Animals aspires to educate, entertain, inform and inspire. It highlights the damage that has already been done to our planet and the animals and plants that share it with us.

320 pages

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