The Trujillo Museum of Unnatural Zoological Horrors
Every major city in Peru should have at least a couple of museums. Trujillo does well in that respect, what with the grand Museo de Arqueologia, the private located-in-a-petrol-station-basement Museo Cassinelli Mazzei, the quaint-though-mildly-scary Museo del Juguete (Toy Museum) and the altogether terrifying Museo de Zoología.
Quite a selection, I’m sure you’ll agree.
The latter museum, the Museo de Zoología Juan Ormea Rodríguez, is worth visiting for all the wrong reasons. Imagine a zoological museum populated by once-living creatures that had been beaten to death by a crazed gorilla before being stuffed and preserved by Hannibal Lecter’s twisted little brother.
Get the picture? If not, here are some pictures….

From a distance, things look kind of normal in Trujillo’s Zoological Museum…

It soon becomes apparent, however, that the residents of the museum look a little freaked out.

Here we see the graceful Andean Condor. He was having a bad day when he died.

Owl One (left): “What the fuck happened to you??” Owl Two (right): “Some little bugger chopped me in half then stuck me on this piece of wood. It’s rather embarrassing, really.”

Opossum Gang Leader: “You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me? Well, then who the hell else are you talking… You talking to me? Well, I’m the only one here.”

Opossum Gang Member: “Psst, pssst, amigo, you wanna buy some drogas, eh?”

“Dude, those opossums sell some crazy shit…”

Peruvian ocelot: “Please get me out of here, I’m scared”
Visiting the Zoological Museum in Trujillo
Trujillo’s Museo de Zoología is awesome. You should definitely go.
The museum is open from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday to Friday. Foreign visitors (adults) have to pay S/.2, residents pay just S/.1. Bargain.
If you’re looking for things to do in Trujillo with kids, the zoological museum might be a good option. Children will either be fascinated, or they’ll run out screaming and be scarred for life (if your kid enjoys pulling the legs off spiders, probably the former; if your child enjoys Alvin and the Chipmunks, perhaps the latter).
The museum is located right in the historic center of Trujillo, on Jr. San Martín 368.
All photos © Tony Dunnell.
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