Bengal Tiger on display at Haden Hill House Museum
This scary beast has been spotted at a Black Country museum – and it's not the first time the large cat has lurked among the artefacts.
Bosses at Haden Hill House Museum in Cradley Heath have delved into its collection and brought out on display several Asian objects that were collected by Victorian traveller Helen Caddick in the 1890s. The Bengal tiger – nicknamed Tiddles by staff at Sandwell Museum Service – was just one of the larger items she had in her collection.
Helen was originally from West Bromwich, and when The Oak House opened as a museum in the town in 1898, many of the items she brought back from around the world went on display there.
Many items from the Caddick collection still belong to Sandwell Museum Service and are brought out for display from time to time as well as being used for school projects.
Sandwell Council's deputy leader Councillor Mahboob Hussain said: "The tiger was particularly popular when he was last on display.
"We wondered what people would think about having a stuffed tiger on display, but I think it's an important story to tell. We may find it unacceptable today to shoot tigers in the wild but it does tell us about our Victorian predecessors and also what museums were like over 100 years ago."
