`Local Tails' is, as the title suggests, a fascinating new exhibit that puts the scientific spotlight on a motley collection of Bermuda's native, endemic and endangered animals.

The Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo (BAMZ) and the Bermuda Zoological Society, who will officially open the show next Thursday (May 30), have designed the new exhibition space -- which replaces the former Invertebrate House -- with youngsters very much in mind.

"We hope to inspire an interest in and appreciation for local species,'' says curator Jack Ward. "Our aim is to show what local residents and visitors to the Island can do to preserve Bermuda's wonderful island environment. At the touch pool, for instance, children can hold some of the Island's marine life and we have brightly coloured murals that provide, in simple terms, information about each animal.'' At feeding times (always the best time to visit BAMZ), visitors may get the chance to feed a longtail chick, place a morsel of food into a spider's web, or watch a school of pilchards as they greedily devour their lunch.

The Discovery Room, also another firm favourite with children, and which also features a variety of animal themes, will be housed in the same building. As usual, this area focuses on `hands-on' activities for smaller children, such as puzzles, `matching' games and playing with animal puppets. The room will also feature an array of interactive learning stations, including a touch screen computer, a visitor-operated video camera and state-of-the-art 3D imaging.

`Local Tails opens Thursday, May 30, at the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo