Discover the fascinating science lurking beneath the surface of history’s most enduring legends at Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum in a new exhibition, Bloodsuckers: Legends to Leeches, open from Monday 9 December 2024 until Sunday 27 April 2025.
Blood is a vital source of life for humans, and an abundant food source for an astounding 30,000 species across the globe, including birds, mammals, fish, insects, leeches, and flatworms. Bloodsuckers draws visitors into this world, starting on a microscopic level with the biology behind blood. Immersive experiences, larger-than-life installations, and interactive displays delve into these diverse organisms and their feeding mechanisms in detail, showing visitors just how clever blood-feeders are, and the intricate ways they have evolved to take blood and thrive on it.
Bloodsucking animals have captured the human imagination for centuries, providing fodder for fear and fantasy. Stories of vampiric creatures persist across cultures and time, borne out of fear of the unknown, from the first publication of Bram Stoker’s Dracula in 1897 and his immortal incarnations on stage and screen, to the more recent urban legend of the coyote-like Chupacabra. In the exhibition, immersive experiences bring myths and beliefs in the undead and bloodthirsty beasts to life, highlighting the history of vampire hunting and pop culture’s most famous monsters.
Auckland Museum’s Tumu Whakarae Chief Executive David Reeves says, “Bloodsuckers blends of science, history, and pop culture, to explore the natural environment and the cultural impact of blood feeding creatures in both our real and imaginary worlds. Drawing from science and culture, Bloodsuckers transforms a subject that might seem gory into something truly fascinating.”
“This award-winning international exhibition lets you get close to bloodsuckers – without the risk of being bitten,” says Reeves.
Bloodsuckers is full of juicy facts on the role that bloodfeeders have played in medicine for over 3,000 years, and how they spark scientific discoveries today. The exhibition explores the evolution of bloodletting, from hungry leeches feeding on patients in the name of health, to barbers and physicians tapping veins for vitality in Medieval and Victorian times. Current research on bloodborne diseases around the world and how leech anticoagulants—the strongest in the world—enable advancements in medical care highlight the impact bloodfeeders continue to have on human health. The exhibition will also arm visitors with knowledge on how to identify, avoid, and heal bites from bloodfeeding organisms, and ultimately live in harmony with them.
Reeves says, “In Aotearoa, bloodsuckers like mosquitoes, sandflies, and ticks are an inevitable part of the summer experience. While they may be a nuisance, these creatures have evolved fascinating adaptations to survive and thrive. Bloodsuckers gives visitors the opportunity to understand species like these in a new light, from their role in nature to their influence on our daily lives.”
The exhibition showcases over 200 unique objects, including wet, mounted, and taxidermy specimens, 17th–19th century bloodletting instruments, and 20th-century pop culture artefacts, all telling the story of blood feeding creatures through time. The interactive exhibits allow visitors to explore these creatures up close, with highlights including a giant glowing column of red blood cells, an old-world bloodletting shop, an audio experience of a mosquito swarm and a retro movie theatre playing clips from classic bloodsucker-inspired films.
Bloodsuckers: Legends to Leeches is coming exclusively to Auckland Museum and opens Monday 9 December. Tickets are on sale from Tuesday 26 November at aucklandmuseum.com.
Auckland Museum Membership provides unlimited free entry to Bloodsuckers: Legends to Leeches, discounted event tickets and exclusive Member-only events. Find out more at aucklandmuseum.com/membership.
Bloodsuckers: Legends to Leeches is produced and circulated by ROM (Royal Ontario Museum), Toronto, Canada.
