Them Bones

Get up close to amazing and fascinating animal bones in Copeland, Idaho. By Robert Lavala.

Them bones them bones them... elephant, snake, flying monkey, giraffe, deer and a whole lot more bones are what you will find at Nate Hart's museum in Copeland Idaho. A big “Thank you” goes out to Glory R. who pointed me in the right direction to get ahold of Nate for a tour of the amazing museum. It is wonderful to find, nestled in the mountains of Northern Idaho, such an extraordinary collection of animal skeletons.

And not only skeletons... but the skeletons all cleaned and put together in perfect order. When you first walk in to the spacious exhibit it is easy to be overwhelmed by the vast amount of white polished bone creatures looking at you from every corner. There is even an unfinished collection on the floor that is awaiting Nate's attention and will get it soon enough.

I asked Nate how long he had been interested in bones and skeletons and he told me that since he was eight years old he had been collecting and assembling the skeletal remains of animals. He has always found it fascinating to study the bones of animals to discover how they lived and even how they died.

Holding up a large female moose skull Nate showed me and my family a nearly certain way that this animal had succumb to death. He showed us another skull of a smaller animal and in the jaw bone were porcupine quills! This lead him to understand the way the animal finally died due to how it fought various other creatures. It was right there in the bones!

Joking around I called him a forensic bone scientist, but after thinking about it, that is just what he is. We all laughed but the work that I saw in his museum was a testament to countless hours not only acquiring the skeletal remains of these animals but also cleaning, identifying, arranging and finally assembling them! One part of the process, the cleaning of flesh from bone, is done with a colony of dermestid beetles – bugs – that have been with him for nearly 15 years.

“They are cheap workers and never get tired” he said. He showed us a small rodent skull that was put in a few hours ago and the only thing left was the bones! The process is incredible and one that is fascinating to grasp as he leads you through his displays. I cannot even begin to list the vast array of creatures represented; but suffice it to say, there were literally hundreds of different critters.

One of the favorites for us was the Narwhal. This, according to Nate, is the creature that is responsible for the stories of the unicorn as it grows a giant horn (5 feet long!) right out of its nose. It seemed unreal but there it was... bone proof and it is not the only one either.

Another unfinished skeleton lays around the museum ready to be assembled and come to find out it is going to be 18' (that's eighteen FEET) tall once it is finished! Okay, you guessed it... it is an adult giraffe. Nate led us to where the three leg bones were on the floor and each one of them was nearly three feet in length. This is going to be a favorite once built.

As of now the elephant with its huge tusks is the favorite. The lower part of the jawbone of the beast weighs nearly 40 pounds. It is hard to imagine how much the rest of the giant skull weighs but it must be hundreds of pounds for sure. Thinking about how big and heavy this one skeleton is begged the question: Where do you get all the bones? Especially since some of them are from remote parts of the globe. Thankfully, various programs and colleges donate the specimens to the museum as they either get new bones or are downsizing their departments. While Nate has collected many of the wonderful items, others have been given as a donation.

I asked if archeology was something he was interested in and his answer was twofold. First he told me that his specialty is called osteology or the study of bones. Archeology digs up the bones and osteologists study, clean and articulate them once they are removed from where they have been retrieved. And then he told me of a fun program that he hopes to institute soon at the museum. He wants to be able to have schoolkids (any age) come and be able to actually dig up the bones from an area where he will bury them. Then the students can go through the process of articulation, just as he does with all the bones. There is a large area in the museum that is upstairs that is planned as a study lab for the students.

Nate hopes to have everything in place one day so that the students can clean, study and put the skeleton together in a controlled area. He wants to have microscopes on hand as well for further study of the bone density and other studies that require it. It was funny as I asked him what his major was in college... “I'm an English major” he said chuckling.

At this time admission is free of charge and he doesn't even have a donation box out. But once you see this wonderful display you will more than likely ask, “How can I donate?” The museum is not finished as his vision is pretty big. You can check out the website at SlowCheetahSkeletons.org to find out more. There are some things that could get done with the right kind of donations. The new construction could use some siding as right now it is only Tyvek; the driveway around the museum could use a couple loads of 3/4- driveway mix and it's pretty muddy; and, as always, all cash and BONEations are welcome!

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