Maine high school gets stuffed lions

BELFAST, Maine, Oct. 5 (UPI) -- A Maine high school said a pair of stuffed African lions will be on display in its lobby for at least a year.

Belfast Area High School administrators said the stuffed and mounted lions were donated by the Smithsonian Institution to Nokomis Regional High School and will be on loan to the Belfast school, which uses a lion as its mascot, for at least a year, the Bangor (Maine) Daily News reported Tuesday.

"We are home of the Lions," art teacher Chuck Hamm said. "It's an honor to have them, it really is."

Nokomis science teacher Howard Whitten said the Belfast school seemed like the right home for the mounts.

"That was our intent -- that these animals go to schools and museums," Whitten said. "(At Belfast) they're real excited about it, and that's why we're here. We want people to get excited about these animals. They deserve it."