Ethical Taxidermy - wellington/Hutt vallet

[learningtaxidermy]

Hi there, I am a hutt valley artist interested in learning taxidermy and was just wondering if you guys ever have any birds who pass away naturally would you please consider me giving them new life and turning them into works of art? 100% understand if this is not something you are ok with, thank you for your time Jonny Langley

[les]

these are bird watchers?ie the birds are still alive and flying free.Also you can`t just find a dead native bird on the side of the road etc and practise your taxidermy skills on it.You have to hand it in to DOC etc and you may be able to get a permit to mount some common species but no gaurantees?

[Adam C]

Yip sorry mate wrong place. Most of us on here consider living birds 'works of art'

[lloydesler]

I think the craft of taxidermy should be encouraged. Native birds are almost all protected but there are plenty of introduced and cage birds that can be done. Examples are magpies, blackbirds, feral pigeons, rosellas, finches, cockatoos, pheasants, chickens. Easiest mammals are hedgehogs and stoats.
Cheers
Lloyd Esler Invercargill esler@southnet.co.nz

[andrewcrossland]

While I'm not a fan of taxidermy as a decorative art, I do see a valuable role for taxidermy as a way to assist education outreach, particularly of school children and communities, without lugging captive birds around. I'm talking about birds found freshly dead here like sea birds, etc.
For example on banks peninsula we're at an early advocacy stage for possible reintroduction of Mottled Petrel, a local breeding species which died out in the 1930s. A while ago we found a freshly dead beach-wrecked example and although still in the freezer, I think having this bird preserved would be an extremely powerful tool in capturing the imagination and sense of "real" for landowners, iwi and community members in relation to understanding that this bird was once here, is now gone, but could come back.

[Steps]

Maybe one of the biggest influences on many of us old guys could well be the glass case native birds/ animals that used to go around school classrooms back in the 50s and 60s.
I agree, the 'art' trade of taxidermy should be encouraged.. not just for trophy deer or fish.
Sure BE permitted to do so on native animals and each be example registered to prevent gathering of live examples..
And DoC to be proactive supporting, not constructively hinder as is the case in other areas under the Wildlife Act.

It is hard enough now for the youth coming thru to see even pictures of out native animals, let alone see or even feel them.
Appreciation of nature needs to be promoted, be seen... not hidden away in some abstract cnr of our native bush or streams.

[lloydesler]

I think Jonny means the craft of taxidermy rather than taxidermy to create art objects. Happy to do your Mottled petrel gratis. I do lots of bits like that for landcare groups, regional councils, DoC etc. I've got a general permit to hold protected species for educational purposes.
Cheers
Lloyd

[Clinton9]

I used to do taxidermy in mid 1980s, but rarely now.

Taxidermy is acceptable and would be encouraged.

Lots of taxidermised wild turkeys & waterfowls in USA, plus lots of taxidermists in USA.


Last year ago I applied for a permit to collect and keep protected native birds in my freezer, but my permit were rejected and I were upset at being denied just because of my disabilities (deafness).

[Neil Fitzgerald]

The OP doesn't mention native birds, and people often report finding dead birds in various states of decay on this site so I think it is a perfectly fine request and had no problem approving it.
Taxidermy might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I'm sure most would agree that museums would be poorer without it.