Skull collector Ray "Bones" Bandar dies at 90 in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO (AP/KTVU) -- Ray "Bones" Bandar, a retired high school science teacher who kept 6,000 animal skulls in his San Francisco home, has died. He was 90.

Faylene Bandar tells the San Francisco Chronicle that her uncle died from congestive heart failure on Dec. 23 at his home.

Bandar began stocking his home with bones when he and his wife bought it in 1965. His skull collection 1,700 California sea lions, 1,000 birds, 120 black bears, 24 breeds of dogs, 12 leopards, nine giraffes, six hippos and six rhinos.%INLINE%

Bandar also had 200 pelvises, a great white shark jaw, a monkey mummy and moose antlers he kept in a bathtub.

He provided displays to the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park, where he was a volunteer field associate for 60 years. 

In 2014, a skull exhibit at the Academy contained much of his collection.