A giant stuffed Indian Gaur from the Biligiri Hills of Karnataka greets you even before you enter the towering two-tiered Gothic-style mansion that holds one of India’s largest and oldest natural history collections.
Nestled among greenery at the sprawling forest campus of Tamil Nadu Forest Academy, the iconic 120-year-old Gass Forest Museum named after Horace Archibald Gass (the Conservator of Forests in Coimbatore Southern Circle of the Madras Presidency in 1902) in recognition of his efforts and contributions, hosts as many as 4000 artefacts including wildlife, timber and non-timber forest produce, geological samples, tribal armaments, entomological specimens and forest engineering models. After remaining closed for two years due to the pandemic, the museum, which is maintained by the extension division of Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding (IFGTB) has now opened to visitors.
“In the ethnology section, there’s a collection of 16 ft long tiger spears used for hunting. It teaches you about the sociological and anthropological aspects of the tribes and also their physical strength. The throw of the spear should cover 360 degrees while hunting a tiger,” says P Chandrasekaran, assistant chief technical officer of IFGTB adding that every single exhibit has a story.
