In the basement of the museum, the collection of skins and bones of many African animals is stored. Each is individually labelled, and because the record keeping was so accurate it is known exactly where and when each of the specimens kept here was shot. This precise provencing is of great help to natural scientists who come and work on the collection. It is testament to the thorough and precise techniques of skinning and preserving the skeletons that this collection is so highly regarded today.

One of the reasons for the particular importance of such a collection is that animals which are kept in captivity develop differently to their native cousins as a result, no doubt, of the stresses and strains of living in the wilderness. So the collection can provide important clues about the lifestyles and development of animals living in the wild at this time.