Sioux Falls to spend $55K to evaluate arsenic-contaminated taxidermy display at state’s largest zoo

By Mitchell Now December 20, 2023 8:16 am

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The city of Sioux Falls has decided to spend $55,000 to evaluate a menagerie of taxidermy animals contaminated by arsenic that fill a now-closed natural history museum at the state’s largest zoo. The Argus Leader reports that the contract was approved Monday by a working group created after a backlash to the Delbridge Museum’s closure. Issues arose in August when nearly 80% of specimens tested positive for detectable levels of arsenic. Community and museum taxidermy experts argued that the arsenic risk was overblown. The situation is complicated by a morass of state and federal laws that limit what can be done with the mounts.

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