Animal mounts that had been slated for disposal by Sioux Falls City Hall have new life

TenHaken calls for pause, assembles task force to study options for future of Delbridge Museum taxidermy collection

Mayor Paul TenHaken is hitting the pause button on plans to dispose of a taxidermy collection of exotic animals that had been on display at a Sioux Falls museum abruptly shut down last month.

The mayor’s office Friday morning announced TenHaken has put together a task force to develop a plan for the collection at the Delbridge Museum of Natural History, marking a shift for the administration that had previously proposed disposing of the exhibits after arsenic was detected in a majority of the specimens.

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“I’ve heard some of the concerns the public has on this collection, and this workgroup will help us create a plan to move forward,” TenHaken said in a statement provided to The Dakota Scout.