Animals Inside Out

Muscles run along a giraffe's neck in Animals Inside Out, a new exhibit in Ottawa, April 28, 2015

You could say it’s a giraffe that’s missing a few spots.

And that would be a very tall understatement.

The adult giraffe body on display at the Canadian Museum of Nature is missing all of its skin, and all the muscles and connective tissue on one side.

What’s left gives you a unique look at how the world’s tallest animal is built to move.

That’s the idea behind Animal Inside Out, an exhibit making its Canadian premiere in Ottawa.

"Animal Inside Out is an exhibition that allows you a glimpse into Mother Nature that you would otherwise not have," says the exhibit curator, Dr. Angelina Whalley.

The exhibit features more than 100 animal specimens displaying various internal aspects of their bodies, from bones to blood vessels, muscles to molars.

And the animals are real. They have been donated by zoos and veterinary programs over the years. Body Worlds, the company behind the exhibit, preserves them by replacing the water in their tissues with a silicone polymer.

The exhibit also includes some human specimens, people who have donated their bodies. It’s a chance to compare our own inner workings with other animals.

“We breathe in the same air for life. We've all turned food into energy. And we share a lot of skeletal structures with a lot of mammals,” says Whalley.

Dr. Whalley acknowledges that some people might find the idea of seeing animals inside out a little disturbing. “But once they come and see firsthand, they most often say it's totally different from what I had expected," she adds.

At a special media preview, a couple of young families were invited in to share their opinions. The children appeared to love it. “Yeah, my kids are obviously enjoying themselves,” observed Sara Gunnink. “It's not scary at all, so it's perfect."

“I only like the giraffe and the camel part,” added her young daughter, Elise.

The question is, which parts? There are a lot of them!

Animal Inside Out premieres May 1^st and runs to Sep. 20^th at the Canadian Museum of Nature.