Clemson University museum’s lion finds new pride at D.W. Daniel High

The D.W. Daniel High School Lions have a new member of their pride.

Weighing 60 pounds with a 10-pound wooden base, the newly restored taxidermied African lion moved into a new home at the high school on September 15. The specimen is from the vertebrate collection of the Clemson University Bob and Betsy Campbell Museum of Natural History.

“The idea of being the D.W. Daniel High School Lions went from an abstract idea to a tangible image of the strength and majesty of this species,” said Principal Adam Russell.

A woman wearing a black t-shirt brushes a taxidermied lion with a paint brush before it is moved to D.W. Daniel High School on a loan. They are in a room with a tiger skin on the wall and some skeletons on a book shelf. — Melissa Fuentes, curator at the Clemson University Bob & Betsy Campbell Museum of Natural History, which is part of the Department of Biological Sciences, brushes a taxidermied lion before its move to D.W. Daniel High School.

Before its first day at Daniel, museum staff gave the lion a makeover, devoting hours to repair and restoration, carefully stabilizing the specimen to ensure it would be a source of pride for years to come.

Vertebrate collection

Melissa Fuentes, the second curator in the museum’s history, oversees the vertebrate collection of around 300 mounts, ranging from life-size rhinos to the tiniest hummingbirds.

“Counting specimens, museum study skins and wet specimens, the museum boasts around 200,000 animals,” Fuentes said.

The museum’s building was constructed in the 1890s and initially served as the residence of J.S. Newman, who managed Clemson’s Experiment Station, and later for chemistry professor and acting University president Mark Hardin. It became the home of the Bob and Betsy Campbell Museum of Natural History in 1995.

“The museum fell into disrepair over the last few years, but thanks to our department finding and allocating funds, we were able to undertake a massive renovation and restoration of the building. And now, we’re once again looking to open our doors and host students, faculty and staff, and our community members within our halls,” said Fuentes, who focuses on outreach opportunities and hands-on education.

A man wearing an orange shirt and a woman wearing a black t-shirt push a cart with a lion wrapped in bubble wrap down the sidewalk at the Bob and Betsy Campbell Museum of Natural History at Clemson University. — A bubble-wrapped lion from the Clemson University Bob & Betsy Campbell Museum of Natural History’s collection, on its way to its new home, D.W. Daniel High School in Central.

Lion loan

When Karolina Mukhtar, chair of the Department of Biological Sciences and a parent of a D.W. Daniel High student, learned the museum had an African lion in storage, not on display, she reached out to Russell about starting the process of securing a long-term loan for the lion. She believed hundreds of students and community members should be able to see the lion daily.

The process culminated in August with Clemson University and the School District of Pickens County approving the loan of the lion.

A team from the museum assessed the lion’s new home for temperature, humidity and light. On September 15, Mukhtar and her team delivered the lion to its enclosure that was prepared over the summer.

A woman wearing a black t-shirt and tattoos on her arm brushes a taxidermied lion's tail before it goes into its enclosure at D.W. Daniel High School. — Melissa Fuentes brushes the lion’s tail in preparation of it going into its enclosure, while Karolina Muhktar, chair of the Clemson University Department of Biological Sciences, watches.

For Russell, the lion carries lessons that extend beyond school spirit.

“Over the last century, lions have experienced a loss of nearly 90% of their population. This donation could very well spark one of our young people to make a lasting difference in our world to protect this amazing animal,” Russell explained.

Mukhtar sees the project as an extension of the University’s role in the community: “Community outreach is a core part of our mission in the Department of Biological Sciences. Sharing resources like museum specimens with local schools can spark curiosity, support classroom learning and help shape the next generation of scientists and engaged citizens.”