Blue whale replaces dinosaur at London museum after 112 yrs
An 82-foot-long blue whale skeleton has replaced a dinosaur skeleton at London's Natural History Museum, 112 years after the latter was unveiled there. The dinosaur replica, named 'Dippy', was cast from original fossil bones discovered in 1898. The replacement aims to raise awareness for blue whales which have gone down from 2.5 lakh in the 1800s to 20,000, officials said.
Hope, the blue whale, takes over from Dippy, the dinosaur, as the centrepiece of the revamped atrium of London?s Natural History Museum on Thursday despite a spirited campaign to keep the much-loved attraction.The towering replica skeleton had been in the museum for more than 100 years and news of its impending demise in 2015 sparked an outcry from dinosaur fans who sent the hashtag #savedippy trending on Twitter. Some 14,000 people signed a petition to stop the move.Sad times, @NHM_London will not be the same without Dippy #SaveDippy https://t.co/DhY2TWAlLD? Jordan Bhatt (@Jordan_Bhatt) July 13, 2017But the museum said the skeleton of the blue whale, the largest animal to have lived on Earth ? which has been hunted to near extinction ? would better raise awareness of mankind?s impact on nature.The 25.2-metre (83-foot) real skeleton suspended from the ceiling ?is a powerful reminder of the fragility of life and the responsibility we have towards our planet,? museum director Michael Dixon said.The whale was previously in the mammals section but was not fully in view and will now take centre stage in the diving lunge feeding position in Hintze Hall, a cathedral-like space built in the late 19th century.Fans of Dippy need not despair as the replica will in any case be preserved for posterity in a bronze cast to be placed outside the museum.Prince William?s wife Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, attended a gala launch reception for Hope on July 13 along with famous British conservationist David Attenborough.Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge (in white), and David Attenborough (in blue) are shown the blue whale skeleton by museum director Sir Michael Dixon during the reopening of Hintze Hall at the Natural History Museum in London on July 13, 2017. 
							(Yui Mok/AFP)
						There were estimated to be around 2,50,000 blue whales in the world?s oceans in the 1800s, but commercial hunting brought the species to the brink of extinction in the 1960s with just 400 specimens left. Legal protection from hunting has since seen their levels rise up to around 20,000 now.The skeleton on display is of a whale that became stranded in Wexford Harbour in Ireland in 1891, 10 years after the opening of the Natural History Museum.Follow @htlifeandstyle for more