The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) has a huge collection of unique and curious objects from the natural world that have been loaned to us by HM Revenue and Customs after being seized at the UK border. Among the turtle shells and snake skins, the strangest of these is perhaps the freestanding rhino-foot ash tray. This single object can open up a whole host of other questions for the students that visit ZSL for education sessions. It can be used to introduce students to the issues of the illegal wildlife trade or as an introduction to classification, exploring the differences between even- and odd-toed ungulates. Or, in comparative anatomy, it provides an example of an animal that walks on the tips of its toe bones, in contrast to humans, walking on the soles of their feet, and can be used to explore ideas of adaptation, exemplifying the rhino's thick, defensive skin. In this brief article, Ruth Desforges, from the Discovery and Learning Team at the ZSL, describes how objects can be used to promote an enquiring mind and open a window onto a world of investigation.