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A fascinating new approach to combating wildlife crime involves the use of hair samples from a century-old museum exhibit. Hayden Leigh, a forensic science graduate from the University of Staffordshire, is harnessing fur from a taxidermied brown bear named Boris to aid in identifying and ultimately protecting modern-day bears from illegal poaching. Boris, who has been a fixture at the Museum of Chelmsford since 1932, arrived as part of a large donation from a local game hunter and has since become the museum’s unofficial mascot.
Leigh’s research for his PhD centers on a detailed analysis of Boris’s fur. Using microscopes, he studies the structure of the hair, including the cuticles and internal layers, alongside DNA comparisons. His goal is to develop an improved method for identifying animal hairs that is both more cost-effective and reliable than current DNA analysis techniques. This advancement could play an important role in addressing the illegal trading and poaching of wildlife. “There’s been hundreds of studies done on dog hairs and cat hairs and general domestic animals, and I thought, well, let’s make a wider impact than on the wider wildlife crime investigations,” Leigh explained.
Accessing authentic animal hair samples has traditionally been a challenge in forensics, but taxidermy collections offer a valuable and more accessible alternative. Leigh emphasized that museum specimens allow for ethical and controlled examination without the need to disturb living animals. His work includes analyzing different sections of Boris’s fur to detect any variations, which could enhance the ability to identify hairs found at crime scenes.
Councillor Jennie Lardge, who oversees culture and leisure for Chelmsford City Council, reflected on the broader significance of this project. She acknowledged that taxidermy can sometimes be viewed as a controversial aspect of museum collections. However, she praised the use of Boris’s preserved legacy in advancing conservation efforts. “It highlights the scientific value of historic taxidermy collections in museums in 2026, and we are delighted that the Museum of Chelmsford has been able to support this important project,” Lardge said
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