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Story by Jack Foley |
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BBC television's immensely popular natural history series, The Life of
Mammals, will begin a touring exhibition of the UK by visiting The
Natural History Museum from January 8-13, 2003, before moving on to eight
science and discovery centres across the UK until March.
Ideal for wildlife enthusiasts all ages and particularly families with children,
the exhibition promises to give budding 'young Attenboroughs' the chance to
discover the world of the warm-blooded, from incredible facts on mammal behaviour
and adaptation to where humans fit in the huge diversity of this, one of the
most successful groups on Earth.
Visitors can take a journey, guided by their five senses - sight, sound, smell,
taste and touch - through a series of exciting hands-on exhibits and activities,
including:
l Sight - The centrepiece of the event
is a realistic mock-up of a cameraman's hide, where visitors can take a peek
in to see what's being filmed. They can also have a go at editing together
actual shots from the series and seeing, if only for the day, their own name
in the credits.
l Sound - Visitors enter the SoundSphere,
an inflatable interactive hemisphere, and are immersed in the sounds of nature
- a British woodland, the African savannah, or the deep ocean. Hear the call
of a distant bat, chimp or whale and then move towards it for a close-up encounter
and to listen to incredible stories about the animal's life, recorded by Sir
David Attenborough.
l Smell - Visitors are encouraged to
take a big sniff to discover just how important smell is. They'll see that
what stinks to one mammal may come up roses to another!
l Taste - Visitors discover why diet
has had one of the greatest evolutionary effects on mammalian diversity and
just how food can bring about changes in physical attributes and behaviour.
l Touch - From soft fur and downy fluff
to rubber-like blubber and armoured scales, mammal coverings come in many
varieties. Visitors can feel for themselves in this exhibit and compare their
own skin with that of their warm-blooded cousins.
Darwin Centre Live - The Life Of Mammals events
A programme of live events held in the museum's new Darwin Centre will
also offer visitors the chance to glimpse behind the scenes of Sir David Attenborough's
latest landmark television series, and discover more about this diverse group
of animals.
Twice a day, on January 10, 11 and 12 , visitors will have the rare opportunity
to meet and talk with the Natural History Museum's mammal experts and The
Life Of Mammals series producers.
January
10 - 11.30am & 2.30pm - Stranded Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises Around
the UK
The museum has been involved in the National Cetacean Strandings Recording
Scheme since 1913. The scheme allows the museum to study the diversity and
ecology of whale, dolphin and porpoise species in the waters around the UK.
Join museum zoologist, Richard Sabin, as he explores some of the commonly
held myths about whale behaviour and find out how to become involved in recording
whale strandings.
January 11 & 12 - 11.30am & 2.30pm - Making The Life of Mammals
From the tiny pygmy shrew to the enormous blue whale, mammals are the most
complex and diverse group of animals ever to live on this planet. Join Mike
Salisbury, series producer of The Life Of Mammals, on January 11 and assistant
producer, Jonathan Keeling, on January 12, for the inside story on how the
programmes were made.
The Natural History Museum, Kensington, London. Admission: FREE
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 10am - 5.50pm, Sunday 11am - 5.50pm. Public
enquiries: 020 7942 5000
Nearest Tube: South Kensington
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