This exhibit has been part of the museum’s permanent displays ever since it first opened. It was totally destroyed during the last war in the 1990s and Borivoje Žuža and Feđa Ćehajić, an artist and taxidermist from the National Museum of BiH, along with curator, Dražen Kotrošan, are responsible for breathing new life into it. The restoration process lasted four years.

What makes the exhibit so special is that it features a sinking ship – a symbol of disappearing habitats – that is surrounded by types of flora and fauna that live in aquatic and swampy habitats. The display showcases a great white shark that was caught off the coast of Senj on the Adriatic Sea in 1954. When the shark was caught, it was a matter of prestige that the shark, as well as other important items from the region, were brought to the National Museum.

The current display includes examples of more than 100 different reptiles, saltwater and freshwater fish species, as well as birds and mammals, and it sends a message about how dangerous it is if these species and their unique habitats disappear. The display also features a dolphin, a Mediterranean monk seal and different kinds of birds.

This exhibit serves as the first in a series of modern and attractive programs which will revitalize BiH’s most important research institution.