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Gass Forest Museum is a government run
Toward the end of the 19th century, an aborted attempt was made by J. A. Gamble, the conservator of forests for Madras Presidency, to establish a forest museum in the province. A few years later in 1902, Gamble's successor as Conservator of Forests Horace Arichibald Gass succeeded in establishing a museum for forestry. It was opened to the public 15 April 1902 by
/ref> (TNFA), the Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Central Academy for State Forest Service (CASFoS) and other offices of the
File:Gauss museum-Gaur.jpg, Stuffed Gaur (Indian Bison) presented by jayachamaraja wodeyar, Mysore
File:Gauss museum-Chinkara.jpg, Stuffed Chinkara (Indian gazelle)
File:Leopard at Gass Forest Museum, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.jpg, A stuffed leopard
File:Peacock-Gauss museum.jpg, Stuffed peacock and peahen
File:Elephant-foetus1 Gass museum.jpg, Elephant foetus (gifted by renowned 'elephant doctor' V. Krishnamurthy)
File:Sandal tree trunk-Gauss museum.jpg, Seasoned trunk of a sandal wood tree
File:Neer kadambai-Gass museum.jpg, Seasoned specimen of neer kadambai (நீர்க்கடம்பை) tree trunk
natural history museum
A natural history museum or museum of natural history is a scientific institution with natural history collections that include current and historical records of animals, plants, fungi, ecosystems, geology, paleontology, climatology, and more. ...
situated at Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...
, India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
.
History
Toward the end of the 19th century, an aborted attempt was made by J. A. Gamble, the conservator of forests for Madras Presidency, to establish a forest museum in the province. A few years later in 1902, Gamble's successor as Conservator of Forests Horace Arichibald Gass succeeded in establishing a museum for forestry. It was opened to the public 15 April 1902 by Baron Ampthill
Baron Ampthill, of Ampthill in the County of Bedfordshire, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 11 March 1881 for the diplomat Lord Odo Russell. He was the third son of Major-General Lord George Russell, second son o ...
, the then Governor of Madras
This is a list of the governors, agents, and presidents of colonial Madras, initially of the English East India Company, up to the end of British colonial rule in 1947.
English Agents
In 1639, the grant of Madras to the English was finalized b ...
, at that point simply referred to as the Forest Museum at Coimbatore. When Gass, the first curator, retired in 1905, his successor F. A. Lodge renamed the museum in his honor. It was expanded in 1905 and 1915. In 1912, the Madras Forestry College (currently the Tamil Nadu Forest Academy) was established in the museum grounds to train foresters. During 1942–47, the museum was closed and the buildings used as shelters for World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
evacuees from Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
and Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...
. After Indian Independence in 1947, the museum came under the administration Government of Tamil Nadu
Government of Tamil Nadu is the subnational government for the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is seated at Fort St George, Chennai. The legislature of Tamil Nadu was bicameral until 1986, when it was replaced by a unicameral legislature, l ...
. It is currently run by the Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding (IFGTB), which is situated in the same campus. The museum was reopened for public on 1 May 2015 after carrying out renovation works. A 3D diorama depicting wildlife in its natural habitat has been added.
Location
The museum is situated in the Forest College Campus, situated on Cowley Brown Road in the heart of Coimbatore city. The campus also houses other institutions like the Tamil Nadu Forest AcademyTamil Nadu Forest Academy/ref> (TNFA), the Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Central Academy for State Forest Service (CASFoS) and other offices of the
Tamil Nadu Forest Department
The Madras Forest Department, now officially, Tamil Nadu Forest Department, is a government department of Tamil Nadu. The department is responsible for managing all the protected areas and forests plus environmental and wildlife related issues ...
.
Gallery
Some of the specimens kept in this museum:References
{{authority control Natural history museums in India Museums in Tamil Nadu Tourist attractions in Coimbatore Museums established in 1902 Forestry museums in India Buildings and structures in Coimbatore Museums in Coimbatore Science museums in India Forest museums