Body Worlds: Animal Inside Out coming to Telus Spark this month

Body Worlds is coming to Telus Spark this fall, though you won’t see many human specimens on display at this exhibit.

Animal Inside Out features over 100 preserved animal specimens ranging from the common pigeon to an expertly dissected camel. Visitors will be able to check out what’s under the skin of some spectacular animals and determine what makes us the same — and different.

One of the most remarkable sights is a dissected giraffe standing at full height.

Body Worlds: Animals Inside Out (sparkscience.ca)

Like the human specimens in the other Body Worlds displays, the animals have been preserved through a process called “plastination,” which was invented by Dr. Gunther von Hagens, a German anatomist, in the 1970s.

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The process involves the removal of soluble fat and water from the body that’s then replaced with some type of reactive polymer, such as silicone rubber.

The result is a perfectly preserved body that allows detailed extraction, display and examination of the muscles, bones, digestive system, blood vessels, nervous system, and internal organs of many types of creatures.

It’s worth noting that none of the animals died specifically for the exhibit and all the specimens were obtained through various university veterinary programs, zoos, and animal groups.

Body Worlds: Animal Inside Out will be open to the public starting Friday, October 25 — which is also when tickets become available.