Coimbra Exhibition

The Great Auk (Pinguinus impennis)

Place of OriginBallymacaw, Brownstown Head, Co. Waterford, Ireland
Date1834
DescriptionThe Great Auk, a flightless seabird became extinct worldwide in 1844. The specimen on display in the Zoological Museum at the University of Dublin is the last Great Auk seen alive in Ireland. It was captured in 1834 off the coast of Waterford and kept alive for four months. It is one of only a few examples of the species exhibited in museums today. Great Auks existed in their millions off the North Atlantic Coast and became extinct largely due to predation by man.
TagsZOOLOGICAL MUSEUM, EXTINCT ANIMALS, DUBLIN’S BEST KEPT SECRET
Dimensionsc. 350mm x c. 160mm
Material/MediumMounted taxidermy specimen preserved with Arsenical soap
Institutional Link to Online Portalhttps://www.tcd.ie/Zoology/museum
Image Rights Holder© The Board of Trinity College Dublin