TIANJIN, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- China's national maritime museum has received 87 animal specimens donated by late American philanthropist Kenneth Eugene Behring.

The specimens are expected to meet the public soon, according to the museum in north China's Tianjin Municipality.

Behring, an American real estate developer and billionaire philanthropist, passed away on June 25.

The collection contains 12 specimens of endangered species like the Nile crocodile, the African elephant and the white-rumped vulture, and 75 others of non-rare animals such as the bontebok, the porcupine and the giraffe.

"The great variety of specimens collected from multiple continents are very precious," said Cui Yunxuan, a commentator at the national maritime museum.

With six display areas and 15 exhibition halls, the three-story museum in Binhai New Area of Tianjin opened to the public in trial operation on May 1. It currently possesses more than 40,000 collection items, among which over 400 rare animal specimens were donated by Behring.

The American philanthropist had attached great importance to popular science education in museums and had donated large collections of rare animal specimens to nature and history museums in China.