Nestled in the Musee de la Chasse et de la Nature is a room dedicated to the grisly trophies of sport hunting. Heads from dozens of game animals and various species line the walls of the room, gaping and staring emptily ahead as visitors watch from below. At the very end of the room is head number 51, a rhinoceros head, hung facing down the center of the room. The rhino itself is an older specimen of the trophy hall, dating from the 19th century. It has the rhino’s signature dark grey skin, wrinkles, and two prominent horns. However, a keen-eyed viewer may realize the odd details of the horn: it isn’t the keratin associated with the horns, rather they are replaced with a material covered in a strong gold covering. Why is this and where did the horn go?
Paris and the Rhinoceros
The rhinoceros is not an animal commonly associated with Paris and for good reason; the animal family is not native to France and has a limited history with the country. Yet, among the ‘exotic’ species of overseas continents, the rhino is perhaps the most commonly sighted among Paris’s streets and stuffed in museums, just behind the lion.
In the late 19th century, Paris, and Europe in general, had a boom of interest in the exotic and unique. This interest was showcased heavily in museums and world expos. These exotic animals and peoples offered something new to European crowds, something to gawk at and at times, conquer their savage ways. The rhino became somewhat a symbol of this barbaric world conceived by Europeans, a strong, fierce but stupid animal, prime for hunting and mastering by European hunters. Specimens from African expeditions were brought to Paris: the live were prominently displayed in fairs and zoos, while the dead, the trophies, were preserved past death and displayed in museums. A prime example of this was the 1878 worlds fair, held in Paris, which along with celebrations of culture and technology, displayed holdings from ‘savage’ countries for audiences, showcasing statues, game animals, trophies, or actual people in sanitized environments promoting the civilized nature of Europe.
So Why is the Horn Gold?
Now that we know why so many rhinos and other African games exist perpetually frozen in Paris museums, why is the horn of the titular rhinoceros coated in gold?
The answer reveals itself if we examine the specimen itself and look to other museums. Despite the older origin of the trophy rhino head in Musee de la Chasse et de la Nature, the head was not directly displayed until fairly recently, a range from 5 to 7 years ago. This can be determined through tourist photos from the past. This is understandable as the museum consistently rotates the trophies displayed in the exhibit, as to display larger portions of their collection. even more interesting. What is even more interesting is that from more recent photos, the horn of the rhino wasn’t gold as recent as three years ago.
So we now know the rhino’s horn was replaced recently but why? This can be determined through a visit to another taxidermy-centric Paris museum, the Galerie de l’Evolution. The Galerie, a prominent natural history-focused museum a part of the Jardin des Plants, features a parade of African mammals and other animals as their main centerpiece. Among these marching mammals are several rhinoceros. They seem normal at first glance but a close look at the horn and seam between the skin and supposed keratin reveals their true nature. A sign displayed below each animal explains the truth: the horn of each animal is fake.
Why the Fake Horn?
Yes, the real horns of these preserved rhinoceros were replaced purposefully by museums, but not because of damage or negligence, but rather to protect them. These two museums were but only two in a growing trend among museums with taxidermy rhinoceros specimens: the rhino’s horns are removed to ensure the safety of both the actual specimen and the original horn.
The horn of the rhinoceros is believed by many to have medicinal or even magical properties, making it a highly desired ingredient, especially in developing countries. This fact has led to the mass poaching of rhinoceros species across Africa and Asia, leading most of the species to near extinction. As the rhino population dwindles and the market is diluted with fake horns, poachers look for alternative sources for these horns: natural history museums. The museums house older, natural specimens and their original horns pose a risk to the preservation of the preserved animal, through them becoming a target for thieves and vandals. Many museums have decided to deliberately remove the horns of their rhinos in order to mitigate potential thievery, at the cost of limiting the integrity of the original specimen.
Paris itself is no stranger to such bold actions by poachers: in 2017, a young rhino housed in Paris zoo was killed and his horn removed. Such actions have provoked a heavy response from conservationists, including the removal of horns of historical rhinoceros specimens. The horns of the creatures of the Galerie de l’Evolution and the Musee de la Chasse are the reaction to this, with the gold covering used for aesthetic purposes to fill the gap left from the horn removal. While this removal undoubtedly damages the specimen and may seem garish to some, it is a necessary step required to protect the original animals and the memories of the rhinoceros as a whole.