• The elephant’s entire skin will be removed, dried, seasoned and filled with permitted material to give its original appearance
• The whole process of such preservation will be undertaken by the National Museums Department
• It will take about a fortnight to remove the skin

By Chaturanga Samarawickrama   

The process of preparing the carcass of Nedungamuwe Raja has begun using taxidermy techniques, Colombo National Museum Director General (Acting) Sanuja Kasthuriarachchi said.   She said according to the method the elephant’s entire skin will be removed, dried, seasoned and filled with permitted material to give its original appearance. The organs of the pachyderm cannot be preserved.    

The whole process of such preservation will be undertaken by the National Museums Department.   
With the prevailing dry weather in the country, the outer skin of the animal gets slightly damaged once the filling is done. If properly maintained, the skin could be preserved for a long time.   

This preservation process is conducted by the taxidermy division of the Colombo National Museum, and the process is said to be very delicate, so it could take some time, Ms. Kasthuriarachchi said. “We use ordinary material for taxidermy. We have assembled a  structure to suit the height of the elephant and subsequently the  original skin of the animal, after necessary seasoning, will cover the  assembled figure. It will take about a fortnight to remove the skin, and  it has to be done carefully and slowly, “Ms. Kasthuriarachchi said.