A Roaring Good Time

The massive pair of lifelike taxidermic lions look ready to spring as their recorded roars echo through the museum exhibit hall. Schoolchildren squeal in alarm and delight at the majestic big cats.

But 5-year-old D.J. Blickenstaff’s mind is not on the king of the jungle. The young student of the Primanti Montessori School in Whittier is busy discussing his family’s two house cats, Noel and Zoom.

That is exactly the connection organizers of the latest special exhibit at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County want visitors to make when they see “Cats! Wild to Mild.” Featuring cats ranging from a mystical Maya jaguar warrior to a common house pet, the exhibit, three years in the making, explores the reverence felines have often enjoyed from their human owners, worshipers and conservationists.

The interactive exhibit, sponsored by Friskies PetCare and the National Science Foundation, will be on display at the Natural History Museum through Sept. 1 then tour 15 cities.

The exhibit attempts to combine the familiar and the exotic, outlining the similarities between domestic cats--the No. 1 house pet in the United States--and endangered big cats, said guest curator Blaire Van Valkenburgh, professor of vertebrate morphology at UCLA.

“Since domestic house cats still retain a lot of their behaviors, we can think of owning them as having little safe windows into the wild,” Van Valkenburgh said.

The exhibit features 25 big and small taxidermic cats, all the work of the museum’s taxidermist, Tim Bovard. The animals died of natural causes and were obtained from zoos and conservation agencies. Many have soundtracks of recorded roars and snarls.

Anatomical displays point to the uniqueness of feline anatomy, while other displays emphasize the importance of proper pet care for house cats.

Nearly 20,000 children and other museumgoers have visited the cats exhibit since it opened March 16. Among the school groups was the one from Whittier school, which wound its way through the exhibit as D.J.’s dad, Gary Blickenstaff, demonstrated an interactive cat anatomy display. “This is what cats do with their claws,” he told the 5-year-olds as he pressed a button that made a model skeleton of a cat’s claw protract and retract. “Do your cats at home do that?”

A rambunctious group from Carson’s Ambler Avenue Elementary stood before a lion display, complete with authentic recorded roars.

“They’ve got cool eyes,” one kindergartner said. Ambler teacher Joan McMillon stood next to a taxidermic Northern Chinese leopard that--much to the kids’ delight--snarled as they passed in front of a motion detector.

“So many of these animals are endangered, and this may be the only opportunity the kids have to see them,” McMillon said.

The room full of roaring and growling cats paired with interactive educational exhibits aims to be kid-friendly as well as educational for older students and adults who take the time to read information about endangered species and feline anatomy, Ward said.

For 6-year-old Eduardo Villatoro from Los Angeles’ St. Thomas Elementary, the popular stuffed lions and tigers didn’t hold a candle to a scientific display on the fastest land animal, tucked away in a corner of the exhibit.

“I like the cheetah best,” Villatoro said, “because it’s fast.”

BE THERE

“Cats! Wild to Mild” runs through Sept. 1 at the Natural History Museum, 900 Exposition Blvd. Price included with general museum admission: $6 adults, $3.50 students and seniors and $2 for children 5-12. (213) 744-3466. For reservations and a complete list of events, call the museum’s education department, (213) 744-3534.

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A Special Cat-alog of Tours, Visits

A selected calendar of events associated with “Cats! Wild to Mild”:

Saturday, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Exotic Feline Breeding Compound Tour: Biologist Jim Angus leads this tour for adults of the Rosemond facility, discussing the role of genetics in preserving endangered cat species. $15 nonmembers, $12 museum members.

April 11, 1:30 p.m. “Sink Your Teeth In,” Family Fun Day: Learn about saber-toothed cats with fossils from the La Brea Tar Pits and participate in cat crafts and activities. Free with museum admission.

April 26, 10 to 11:30 a.m. and 1 to 2:30 p.m. “Fabulous Felines”: Children 3 to 5 accompanied by adults will get a hands-on look at the exhibit by touching cat pelts and skeletons and will learn how cats survive in the wild. $30 nonmembers, $25 museum members.

April 26 and 27, 5 p.m. to 9 a.m. “Sundown Safari: A Family Camping Trip at the Los Angeles Zoo”: Families will be able to set up camp at the zoo and explore animal life after hours. $50 to $75 nonmembers, $40 to $60 museum members.