The new Mammal Gallery is an exciting recreation of a long-time popular gallery. The favourites -- from the cougar to the grizzlies -- are back in their completely restored diorama settings to tell the many amazing stories of animal adaptations.

Clarence Tillenius at work. CMN J-8468-8.

Eight of the gallery's dioramas were painted in the late 1950s/early 1960s by renowned Canadian wildlife artist, Clarence Tillenius. The artist and outdoorsman travelled to remote locations across the country to study Canadian landscape and wildlife. His paintings detail breathtaking, unforgettable scenes, capturing them forever in these national treasures for generations to come.

Mammal Gallery

More about the Gallery
- Advantages of Adaptation
Teacher Zone

In the gallery, take an audio tour of the wolf (Canis lupus) and bison (Bison bison) diorama.

Explore Canada's distinctive rugged wilderness and come face to face with wild animals... without your heart racing in fear!

In the new Mammal Gallery, you will see remarkable, real specimens of grizzlies, bison, moose, caribou, pronghorn, cougar and more. You will discover the successful ways they've adapted to survive in this often harsh land of ours.

Plunge under the sea ice where a polar bear is waiting with her cub to catch a ringed seal. Stand mesmerized before 13 unique diorama scenes that reveal the beauty of Canada's wild places, eight of them painted by the masterful Canadian wildlife artist, Clarence Tillenius. Discover a different adaptation theme with each diorama.

There is a lot to do in the gallery as you explore animal adaptations: "feed" a grizzly, study a predator "crime scene" to find your culprit, pitch predator and prey in a survival game, beam a flashlight to reveal animals poised in the urban darkness, and much more!

Kids will keep busy in the children's play area with puzzles, puppets and books. Artists are invited to work in the gallery, and are welcome to borrow one of our easels. And, everyone will enjoy the many new interactive components.

It's a wildly captivating experience!

The Dall's sheep (Ovis dalli dalli) diorama.

What Is a Diorama?

Dioramas are three-dimensional displays wherein animals are mounted in front of painted curved background scene to provide the illusion of a realistic habitat.

What Is a Mammal?

All mammals

are warm-blooded
have live births
produce milk for their young
have specialized teeth.

Humans, of course, are mammals too!

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