''There's a couple of people who are wanting to look a bit more closely at them.''
The bones were expected to sell because new regulations under the Wildlife Act were being considered by the Government at present, and they would soon make it illegal to sell or trade parts of extinct native animals.
The giraffe head also failed to sell and was also under offer.
Proctor said a whale penis, which had been fashioned into a walking stick, also fetched a good price — more than $1800.
''The lion went for about $10,000, the wolf went for $6000, the musk-ox went for just over $5000 and the same with the Cape buffalo.
''Overall, things went really well. The prices were quite buoyant and there was quite a large crowd.
''There were about 300 registered bidders online as well.''
Proctor said the auction was made up of pieces from four private collections.
He said there had been a resurgence in taxidermy in recent years.
''You still get the guys who still love putting it in their man-caves, but this stuff is pretty special.
''The quality of it was really up there — museum quality — and it attracted a lot of collectors who are looking for that A-plus quality type stuff.
''It's rare to be able to get your hands on a polar bear. He was pretty spectacular,
this one.''
