University of East Anglia (UEA) technicians recently assisted Ben Garrod, Professor of Evolutionary Biology and Science Engagement, as the team presented a unique science outreach and education event involving the dissection of an African lion. Kathryn Barrie and Ben Wildey, UEA teaching technicians, supported the event and were instrumental in storing and transporting the lion to the venue, with T-PIKE providing funding for further technicians to attend in person. Ben was joined by a range of UEA colleagues and students as well as veterinary colleagues Dr Jess French and Dr Elliott Simpson-Brown at The Royal Institution in London.

Ami Thomas, a human anatomy technician within Norwich Medical School, benefited from T-PIKE funding to attend the live event and enthused about her experience: “Being a technician, I was interested to see how the technical aspects of the dissection were handled, rather than the spectacle of the lion dissection itself! The whole event was brilliant. The hosts were interesting and knowledgeable and fielded all manner of questions from the audience. The anatomical features of the lion were fascinating, with the dissection instruments and techniques aligning closely with those used in my day-to-day work.

“I’m grateful to T-PIKE for funding my travel and ticket, I’d highly recommend others taking up these kind of opportunities if they become available”.

The lion’s body had been donated by a British zoological collection after the animal was euthanised due to a chronic health condition associated with old age. The event showed the lion necropsy (animal version of an autopsy, which is a legal requirement for UK zoological collections) to teach about the anatomy, evolution and behaviour of lions. The event highlighted the roles and responsibilities of good captive care management and how these animals can teach us more about the conservation of their wild counterparts.

The live event and follow up video are expected to reach an audience of over 100,000 people, creating a really important opportunity to showcase UEA expertise.

(Left to right): Dr Helen Leggett, Dr Will Nash, Phoebe Leicester, Mike Mutegi, Prof. Kelly Edmunds, Prof Ben Garrod, Dr Jess French, Dr Elliot Simpson-Brown, technicians Kathryn Barrie and Ben Wildey, Rosie Beme, Hannah Linsdell