West Virginia Universitys Wildlife and Fisheries Resources Program has gotten a bit wilder, thanks to a unique donation of hundreds of animal specimens from Robert and Mary Lou Estler of Barboursville.

The Robert Estler Collection will be used to enhance the teaching and educational mission of the program, housed in the Division of Forestry and Natural Resources in WVU s Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences.

Jim Anderson, an associate professor in the program, said that such specimens are an essential tool in wildlife education, providing realistic depictions of sometimes reclusive species and giving students a clearer sense of the animalsindividual qualities.

The Estler collection includes more than 400 itemsor mounts. The collection includes dozens of mammals, birds, insects, nests, reptiles and cabinetry and display units.

The mounts will be displayed in wildlife and fisheries resources classrooms in Percival Hall on WVU s Evansdale Campus, but the Estlersgenerous gift has given the Division of Forestry and Natural Resources a significant building block for an ambitious endeavor.

We hope to convert the lobby of Percival Hall into a natural history museum for the region,said Bonnie McBee Fisher, Davis College director of development and alumni affairs.

Faculty and staff in the division envision a unique learning resource, with the Estler collection front and center. Fundraising efforts and initial design discussions are under way, along with conceptual discussions and interpretive planning.

Robert Estler first became interested in taxidermy at age 12, and he has worked on more than 500 specimens during his 80-year career. He continues to develop mounts for the collection and is currently at work on a full-body mount of a wolverine for theHungry Wolvesdisplay that will be housed in the renovated upper lobby of Percival Hall.

The Estler collection was established through the WVU Foundation, a private nonprofit corporation that generates, receives and administers private gifts for the benefit of WVU .