Animals across the collection unleashed at Wisbech and Fenland Museum

Wisbech Museum's curators have gone wild to create its summer exhibition that opened on Wednesday, giving a different take on looking at animals from anything you can see on TV.

They've raided the museum's vast store of treasures animal, mineral and manmade to create a standout showcase about animals that will keep children and adults entertained for hours.

Upstairs in the brightly-lit Hudson Room visitors are first struck by the biggest exhibit by far and a pre-refurbishment Museum favourite, the stuffed albatross in flight that used to face the old entrance hall.

Victorian taxidermy beautifully conserved and lit brings back to life British creatures – from a badger, mute swan and tiny weasel to a weird lumpsucker fish caught in the Nene in 1875. Visitors can examine them in detail for as long as they like and children are encouraged to draw and colour what interests them.

The stuffed animals are interposed with curiosities like a huge ostrich egg and the jaw of a shark.

Manmade objects include a 2,400-year-old Egyptian oil flagon in the shape of an owl, a Staffordshire creamer jug in the shape of a cow and a fabulous stumpwork picture of a garden with animals embroidered in the 17th century. And much more.

The exhibition runs until September 2 when the Museum is open, from 10am to 4pm Wednesday to Saturday, and adults pay £5 each for an annual pass which will admit them free for the year. Children and students are free.

See https://www.wisbechmuseum.org.uk/whats-on/ for details of the Museum's Family Open Day of activities on Wednesday August 9 when entrance charges will be waived for everyone for one day only.