Having your live pet dog prance around you is one thing. Now imagine your pet - stuffed and mounted on the wall in your living room?
Clearly….Taxidermy is NOT for all.
Those unfamiliar with this territory ought to be told that Taxidermy is considered as a fine mix of science and art world over – a process by which dead animals are preserved for educational purpose. Taxidermy is also a fetching profession if you do it right. Full mounts, trophy heads and skins of the deceased animals – popular ones being of Lions, Tigers, Snow Leopards, Crocodiles, Polar Bears, Black Bears, Red Deers, Eagles, Ostriches make a multi-billion dollar industry across all geographies. In fact, the older the ‘mount’ the more it is valued.
If you think this is weird and can’t help making faces, think of the alternative to Taxidermy. Do we just let the dead animals go without a trace? How else to preserve a race? It follows the same principle as does the mummification.
While mummification might have been started by the prehistoric South Americans and Egyptians to ensure that deceased’s soul continues into the afterlife, these same ‘mummies’ are our window into a race, a culture, a kingdom, an era – thousands of years ago!
Who knows? Today’s taxidermy could open a window to our world few millenia from now!
And for now….we can take solace in and marvel at a Taxidermist’s skill at keeping a deceased animal looking alive!
