Dry speciment: Pangolin

The Zoological Teaching Collection of the Humboldt-Universität possesses over 30,000 historical and contemporary objects. Using animal preparations, students learn how to determine species in anatomy classes. Although their purpose is to be used in teaching or research, the wear and tear thereby occurring often contradicts the desire for conservation. Sometimes the significance and material value of objects change. A preparation acquired for identification exercises can thus become a specimen copy of an endangered species. Due to poaching and the destruction of habitats, according to the Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, all eight pangolin species are endangered.