Extraordinary tales of Trinity’s Zoological Museum brought to life in new book
Posted on: 04 April 2025
Dr Martyn Linnie, curator of Trinity College Dublin’s Zoological Museum, has just launched a new book, bringing to life the many tales of the museum’s history and that of its permanent residents.
The Unnatural History of Animals – Tales from a Zoological Museum features beautiful illustrations to accompany its many yarns, which take readers on a compelling journey from the formation of our planet to the evolution of complex life and beyond.
The tales include one of “Prince Tom”, the royal elephant; a rare 19th century pygmy hippopotamus with a link to the notorious South American drug lord Pablo Escobar and his passion for exotic animals; a mermaid caught in fisherman’s nets in Natal in 1927; and a long lost Egyptian mummy now rediscovered.
Readers will visit the lost world of dinosaurs, ancient beasts, and events that changed our world, while travelling back in time through the great voyages of discovery to learn about the explorers and naturalists who forged new territories across land and sea.
We also hear how our planet, despite surviving five mass extinctions, now faces its greatest challenge of all.
In the foreword, Trinity’ Professor Luke O’Neill, who has published numerous popular science books himself, says: “The book is an emotional narrative, grounded in stories about the museum and some of its 25,000 specimens. It is packed with stories of blood thirsty bats, strange footprints in County Kerry, Covid-19 heroes, bed bugs, living fossils, whale vomit, parasites, and the origin of man.”
“We also learn that many of the specimens on display in the museum are either extinct or highly endangered, the most famous of these being Ireland’s Last Great Auk (extinct 1844). For a species that existed in its millions, only a small number remain, preserved in museums and private collections worldwide.”
When Sir David Attenborough obtained an honorary degree from Trinity in 2008 he paused to visit the great auk and there is a lovely image of Martyn sharing a moment with the great man himself.
Other famous people also had connections with the museum, including Charles Darwin, the greatest naturalist of them all, who exchanged letters and information with then-Director of the museum, Robert Ball and his successor E.P Wright.
“But the book also has a serious underlying message,” adds Prof. O’Neill in his foreword.
“Martyn highlights the work of climatologists and ecologists who warn that if we don’t change our ways soon our troubled planet may not be able to recover given the alarming decline of species, biodiversity loss and the continued rise in global temperatures.”
The Unnatural History of Animals (ISBN 978-1-78605-202-5) was first published in paperback by Red Stripe Press in February 2025. It is available from book stores including Hodges Figgis on Dawson Street (RRP €24.99).