Big cats in China

We are now a few months in the Chinese Year of the Tiger, but the IVPP has only just opened it’s themed exhibit to tie in with this. The tiger is a very symbolic animal in Chinese culture and the exhibit reflects this, but I was only really interested in the skulls of various extant cats and recent fossil animals. So don’t expect too much calligraphy and art here, (or archosaurs of course) though I have included a very nice bronze sabre-toothed cat that caught my eye.

It is also nice to see the IVPP put up a much nicer temporary exhibit than they usually manage with lots of well preserved and well presented specimens with lots of detailed signs. Sadly too many museums in China seem to start off looking fantastic but are then neglected to the point that they look less than great even just a few years down the line. Dust builds up, minor repairs are not completed, light bulbs go and so on and they rapidly look run-down even when in truth they are not. A little care can go a long way.