Massive snake collection up in smoke
| 17 May, 2010 | Adie Chan |
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Over the weekend a fire in Brazil destroyed what might have been the world’s largest collection of preserved snake and arachnid specimens. The blaze gutted a lab in Sao Paulo’s Instituto Butantan on Saturday (15th May), reducing 80,000 snakes and several thousand spider and scorpion specimens to cinders. “The entire collection was lost, the biggest collection of snakes in the world,” curator Francisco Franco told the Press Association. “It’s a loss to humanity.”
The the 100-year-old collection was used by researchers all over the world to study evolution, and some of the preserved specimens had not even yet been cataloged. The Instituto Butantan also houses live animals for use in vaccine and biopharmaceutical development, but institute staff saved those animals from the conflagration. No humans were hurt in the fire, but the damage to science is almost incalculable.
Apparently the institute is already drafting a plan to replace the collection. Can you replace something so valuable?
Bob Grant, Associate Editor, The Scientist
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It is a tragedy. Where were the fire sprinkler systems? Perhaps this should serve as a wake up call to all museums: assess your emergency fire systems now….
When we are losing countless species because of loss of habitat, warming, and wanton neglect of the environment, this collection and those like it are more precious than at any time in our lives. If you are a curator, researcher, or simply a citizen of the Earth, do what it takes to protect these collections. Monetary contributions are a start.