A Touching Naked Mole Rat

Here at the Pacific Science Center, we are always looking for ways to improve our guests’ experience, whether it’s through activities, interactive exhibits, or providing accessibility to all of our guests. We love exhibits where people can not only see, but also touch and explore with as well. However, with the exception of our Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches, that is not really possible with most of the animal exhibits. In fact, we specifically say that they are not allowed to touch the butterflies. So we are thrilled to announce a new addition to our department that you can touch. Welcome our brand new bronze naked mole rat!



Knowing how popular the naked mole rats are with our visitors, and how iconic their shapes are, Lead Animal Caretaker Lauren Bloomenthal wanted to render them accessible to everyone who visits. Who wouldn’t want to touch this cute statue? But even closer to Pacific Science Center’s mission was our goal of reaching diverse audiences by becoming more inclusive toward those who are visually impaired. For those guests who can’t see the mole rats, this becomes a way to experience them. For those who look but need more sensory data to really understand, the sculpture is an additional learning tool.

The idea quickly spread from the Animal Care department to the Exhibits team, where Exhibit Operations Coordinator Ashley Hollender helped bring the project to life. She invited Georgia Gerber, the artist who crafted our caterpillar as well as the turtles that live outside in our ponds, to work with us once again. As the project was moving along between Georgia, the Animal Care team, and the Exhibits team, we decided to enlist Stacy Thurston, a longtime volunteer who is blind. Stacy gave us invaluable feedback on the braille plaque which will accompany the bronze, as well as the location and features of the bronze piece.

Georgia came by the science center to get some up close, hands on time with our mole rats, as well as take numerous reference pictures. When she had sculpted the main design, she sent images back to our Animal Care folks for feedback. We loved it, but kept asking her to make the bottom teeth bigger. And bigger. And bigger. If there’s one thing we learned in this process, it’s that it’s all about the teeth.

The bronze mole rat is roughly two times the actual size of our naked mole rats. Even with the scale in mind, he has a large build compared to the average naked mole rat. If you study him, you’ll notice that he is carrying lots of his weight in his neck and chest. This means he is likely a disperser morph, like Hairless Houdini.

This project fell outside the normal scope of either Lauren’s or Ashley’s daily job. It entailed extra work and learning new processes. But they both really wanted to do it and luckily, our VP of Exhibits and Life Sciences, Diana Johns, believes in giving employees the opportunity to tackle this kind of project with the support they need to succeed. We couldn’t have done it without her.

While this is a rendition of a naked mole rat and its features is not an exact replication, Georgia’s artistic touch is what really brings our little bronze friend to life. Our bronze mole rat is cast from a limited edition mold. Ours is #1 in a series of 15. You, too, may have a bronze naked mole rat of your own.

Naming Contest

But wait! The bronze naked mole rat project is not yet complete. He is only missing one thing – a name! Here’s where we need YOUR help. If you’d like a chance to name our newest bronze addition, comment below with your suggestions. We’ll pick a winner next Thursday, October 17th.

And don’t forget to come by the Pacific Science Center and help us welcome our brand new bronze naked mole rat!

Addendum: October 15th

A braille interpretive plaque is now installed for our visually impaired guests.