Taxidermy at the Museum of Natural History

This is Portugal's premier natural history museum. Founded in 1768 and integrated into the University of Lisbon since 1911, MUHNAC holds scientific collections in botany, zoology, anthropology, geology, and palaeontology, totalling around 620,000 specimens. Its zoological collections include many specimens originating from scientific expeditions to former Portuguese colonies, particularly in Africa, and are among the largest and most significant in Portugal. One particularly notable taxidermy piece is a full-mounted rhinoceros. The museum faced a conservation dilemma due to a wave of rhino horn thefts at museums across Europe, and ultimately replaced the specimen's original horns with replicas — a careful, ethical and conservation decision documented in specialist literature. The museum also has exhibits relating to anthropology, botany, geology, palaeontology, and zoology, and the zoology section holds a vast collection of amphibian and reptile specimens from Portugal and its former colonies.