Bringing the gharial back to Museum & Art Swindon

Working alongside the team at MAS, the group have been working to make sure the gharial can be put back on display for everyone to enjoy, while also explaining the animal’s complex history.

Since it was given to the Council in 1931, the gharial (fondly known as the Swindon Croc) has been displayed in a number of exhibitions. However, it is yet to appear in its new home after being sent for some much-needed restoration work and to allow the MAS team to put together its own dedicated exhibition.

As part of the work to create the new exhibition, the team looked at the history of the gharial, the moral, ethical and legal considerations when caring for a critically-endangered species, where it can currently be found in the wild and what it means to the people of Swindon.

All this research and work will provide a new, suitable exhibition for the animal that will also highlight other creatures in Wiltshire that are on the critical list such as the West European Hedgehog and the Lapwing bird.

Alongside creating a new space for the gharial, the young people also gained valuable experience in curatorial work and learning how to create museum exhibitions.

Victoria, one of the young people involved in the exhibition, said: “I was interested in developing skills in curation, especially since I’ve already been involved with some other projects (such as the Un/Common People art exhibition last year). I was fascinated by this project in particular as a chance to explore narratives around conservation and taxidermy, which are very sensitive subjects.

“It was fun to have a hand in how these objects are represented. I find heritage and history intriguing and so important.”

Councillor Marina Strinkovsky, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Placemaking and Planning, said: “The gharial has a special place in the hearts of Swindonians, and it has been my priority to restore it to its proper home at the heart of the new Museum & Art Swindon.

“But it also has a complex history, and we want to depict its place in the natural world and the British past. It’s important for people to learn not just about the species, but also how it came into the Council’s possession and the context of the world at that time.”

While the arrival of the gharial is getting closer, work is still ongoing to make sure the exhibition space is set up to receive the fifteen-foot long beast. Further updates will follow in the coming weeks.