Yesterday, the museum's security cameras captured this scene: in the endangered animal exhibit on the first floor, two children were playing in front of specimens of a Zhoushan cobra and a Mangshan lancehead viper, repeatedly grabbing and kicking the specimens. Their father, instead of stopping them, picked up the two specimens, handed them to the children, and joined in the play. During the incident, the Mangshan lancehead viper specimen was damaged.

Thanks to other visitors who were present, the museum was not seriously damaged. The damaged specimens are currently being treated and restored by professionals.

The National Zoological Museum strongly condemns this behavior. This is a typical and egregious example of uncivilized visitor behavior—adults not only fail to guide children in protecting the exhibits, but also lead by example in and condone the destruction.

Many people are familiar with similar scenarios. Children run red lights, and parents follow suit; children cut in line, and parents say, "It's okay, the child is still young"; children litter, and parents pretend not to see. Rules are taught by adults; if parents don't teach them, children won't understand; if parents don't take them seriously, children will take them even less seriously. Every time parents fail to stop their children, they are confirming one thing for the child: rules can be disregarded. When "disregarding rules" becomes a habit, it's not just one example that's damaged, but the very bottom lines in public places that should never be tested again and again.

Why can't this specimen be touched?

The damaged specimen is the Mangshan pit viper (Protobothrops mangshanensis), formerly known as the Mangshan pit viper—a species endemic to China. Currently, it is only known to be distributed in parts of the Mangshan National Nature Reserve in Hunan and the Nanling National Nature Reserve in Guangdong. It is a Class I protected wild animal in China, and its wild population is endangered.

A specimen of the Mangshan lancehead viper on display in the endangered animal exhibition hall of the National Zoological Museum.

This specimen has a special history: it was donated by Mr. Chen Yuanhui. In 1984, Chen Yuanhui, a scientific worker at the Mangshan National Nature Reserve, first discovered clues about this unknown venomous snake while treating snakebite patients; Academician Zhao Ermi of the Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, officially named and published it in 1990. In order to study and protect this endangered species, Chen Yuanhui was bitten by snakes nine times, resulting in a permanent disability in his middle finger.

The matter of "touching the exhibits"

The rule against touching specimens and exhibits in museums is not just a rule for visitors; there are specific reasons for it:

Sweat and oil from your hands can corrode the specimen;

Specimens are non-renewable;

Some specimens contained residual preservatives. Children who handled these specimens without washing their hands and then touching their eyes or mouths may pose a health risk.

Specimens are real animals, not models. They are preserved as specimens after death for research and public education. Handling them carelessly is disrespectful to the exhibits and their provenance.

The phrase "Do Not Touch" protects the exhibits, others, and visitors themselves. The specimens cannot speak, but the museum speaks for them: Respecting the exhibits is the bottom line for visitors. Please start by upholding this principle yourself.

Let respecting life and having reverence for nature be the first lesson children learn when they visit a museum.

The National Zoological Museum's monitoring room has preserved complete, uninterrupted surveillance video of the entire incident. The National Zoological Museum reserves the right to pursue legal action against those responsible.

(Source: National Zoological Museum WeChat Official Account)