Councilors discuss upcoming taxidermy collection vote
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — On Tuesday night, the Sioux Falls City Council will decide if a collection of taxidermy animals will head to new homes.
The Brockhouse animal collection, which was gifted to the city in the 1980s, was on display at the Delbridge museum at the Great Plains Zoo for decades.
Changes coming to 101 North Phillips Ave.
But the museum was closed in 2023 after arsenic was found in a majority of the roughly 150 animals.
That same year, a work group was formed to determine the next steps.
After weighing the options and sifting through proposals, the work group has recommended most of the collection go to the the University of Notre Dame Museum of Biodiversity.
Now it's up to the Sioux Falls City Council to decide if the collection will be gifted to three out-of-state nonprofits.
'This is a challenging vote and I wish it wasn't on our desk,' City Councilor Miranda Basye said.
Basye spoke about her connection to the Brockhouse animals at a press conference Tuesday morning.
'For me personally, I'm a fourth generation Sioux Falls resident, and so I have some pretty vivid memories of this collection,' Basye said.
Still Bayse supports relocating the mounts ranging in age from 50 to 80 years old.
'I look at the University of Notre Dame and their mission and their purpose and why they would want a collection like this on display and that to me fits better, that this collection would be cared for immensely. It would have the continued lifespan as opposed to being where it is or where it has been next to the zoo,' Basye said.
The other two nonprofits that could be gifted some of the collection are the Institute for Natural History Arts and the Oddities Museum.
'Another thing to touch on with all these groups, is they are expanding collections. This is not them getting a collection and starting a museum from scratch. This is something that is adding to a collection that they already have and that is something that's important to me as well because you have the longevity. They already have an endowment. They already have operating expenses. They already have staff to go in and routinely care for these animals,' City Councilor Richard Thomason said.
Basye plans on introducing an amendment to the resolution Tuesday night.
'That would create a Delbridge Wildlife Legacy Exhibit, a tribute to conservation and community, so I'll be asking my fellow councilors to support an investment at the zoo in an interactive exhibit that would honor the legacy of the Brockhouse and Delbridge families and their contributions not just to our city, but the evolution of wildlife conservation,' Basye said.
The city council meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Yahoo
Construction affects Sioux Falls city parks
SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO) — New construction projects this week will impact people's access to a pair of Sioux Falls city parks. Starting Monday, crews will begin replacing the Riverdale Park asphalt bike trail with concrete. No access to the bike trail loop will be available from the park. Instead, you can get to the trail from either Rotary or Cherry Rock parks. The work should be finished next month. Also Monday, crews will be installing utilities at the new pool in McKennan Park. That means South 4th Avenue between Park Drive and 26th Street will be closed to traffic. The work should be finished in two weeks. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Recess program gets dogs out of the shelter for a day
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Christie Schenefeld started fostering in March, but as summer approached, her schedule got busier. Just when she thought she had to take a break from volunteering, she found out about Rescue Dog Recess. 'It's just so fun seeing the dogs start out their day. Just excited to get out, go on an adventure and come back and they're resting their head on your arm or they're curled up snoring in the seat next to you. It's just so rewarding to see them just get to be dogs and be happy,' said Christie Schenefeld, a volunteer at the Sioux Falls Area Humane Society. Crews respond to fire at Delux Motel on West 12th Street Schenefeld has taken dozens of dogs on field trips since the program launched in April. Some of her favorite stops are Great Bear and Falls Park, but they all end the same way. 'And then, of course, you gotta finish up with a treat or a pup cup,' said Schenefeld. None of this would be possible without the employee who started the program. 'I saw other shelters kind of do a doggy day out program. But I like to be unique, so I named it something different. Rescue Dog Recess. Because we want them to have fun at recess like kids,' said Lexy Nuttbrock, a kennel supervisor and foster coordinator at the SFAHS. Even though Rescue Dog Recess is still in its first few months of operation, it's been successful so far. 'We've seen less behavior problems. Dogs are walking better on leashes, they are being introduced to strangers better, less reactions. This is a super stressful place. So we are seeing dogs being allowed to be dogs,' said Nuttbrock. 40% of the dogs who went out for recess last month found their fur-ever homes. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Fighting against the spread of Measles
Rapid City, S.D. (KELO) — An increased number of measles cases is spreading across the country, with one case being reported in Meade County earlier this week. Public safety alert issued for 'dangerous subject' at large The current cases of Measles started from people who have come back to the country from international travels where measles is endemic. 'The virus is taking hold in communities where vaccination rates are low and that's the really tough thing, measles is incredibly contagious. Experts estimate that we need to have a 95% vaccination rate or better in order to prevent outbreaks from taking hold,' Monument Health Pediatrician Dr. Paula Marsland said. These percentages have dropped to around 90% across the country. Medical professionals are recommending the MMR vaccine (Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccination), something that has remained the same for the past 50 years. 'It's not hanging out in animals, it's hanging out in humans. And so as we try to eradicate it, the only way to do that is to stop the transmission of human to human. That's why I mentioned previously, it's highly contagious. Measles is three times more contagious than the Flu, than Covid, than Ebola,' Dr. Marsland said. The last time this many cases happened in the country was back in 2019, when over 1,200 cases were reported for the entire year. 'And then once symptoms show up, folks are infectious from roughly four or five days before the rash starts to four days after the rash starts. So that's a good eight to nine-day period where they are infectious. So certainly if you had somebody with a positive measles case, we'd want them to quarantine until at least four days after the rash started,' Dr. Marsland said. Currently, there have been over 1,100 cases this year, with over two-thirds being in people ages 19 and younger. The measles vaccine is typically given between 12-15 months of age with the second dose of MMR given in the range of 4-6 years of age. If you want to learn more about next steps in preventing measles, talk to your medical professional or find more informaiton here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
