Most people do not like mice....their creepy tails and the little sharp teeth. Scurry, furry little pests that get into everything!!! I, however, LOVE them! I mean, who ever hated the little mice in Cinderella? The mice I use in my taxidermy are rescued or have died of natural causes. "Rescued"...meaning from the jaws of a snake or lizard. Rescued from a horrifying and painful death. At the EBV, they have "feeder mice" who have no chance for a home as a pet and can't be sold as such (for reasons they would not explain to me fully,.... Not Certified they said) So.....the ethical question I get all the time is "Do you kill the mice for art?" the answer is no. The EBV euthanizes them or throws them in the cages live. I choose the mice from the ones that they put to sleep before they are fed to the snakes. To me, I immortalize it and honor it's death with bringing it "back to life" in taxidermy. God gave us all living creatures as a testimony to His greatness in creation. When I see an animal, whether in picture, zoo or "stuffed" as in taxidermy; I see His great creativity and wonder at every detail.
Taxidermy was first popular a very long time ago when you couldn't just turn on the TV, computer or such and see a porcupine. Books weren't always available to everyone. Taxidermy was the way to bring the animal to the public. Yes, sporting and hunting for trophy's is considered unethical today, and I would not hunt a squirrel just to stuff it.
I recently spoke with a baby duck taxidermist who's relative works in a chicken hatchery that raises them for grocers. 30% of the chicks do not make it past a month. He takes the ones that die and would otherwise be thrown into the furnace and does taxidermy on them so that you and I could smile every time we saw their cute little beaks and webbed feet! It is my hope that the creatures that I stuff will be treasured for all of the wonder they are. Examine the mouses tiny paws, it's sweet little nose and delicate ears......and Praise the Creator for all that He has given us in the animal kingdom.
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