Is Taxidermy Creepy?

The word taxidermy comes from the Greek words "taxis" (arrangement) and "derma" (skins) and refers to the act of displaying dead animals. The process includes skinning animals similar to the way one skins a chicken before cooking. This can now be done without even opening the body so no gooey bloods and guts even need to be seen from the professional animal preparer. The skin is then placed on a polyurethane form and clay eyes are created and installed. Taxidermists receive an average of $39,000 a year which is quite robust in today's harsh economic times. Taxidermy is performed on all sorts of species of animals from large mammal to small reptile. They are often used as hunting trophies, in museums, and even for personal pets.

With all the above in mind, it is important to remember that just because something can be done doesn't mean it should be. Simply put, taxidermy creepy. Arrangement of skins? What can be creepier than that? To remove, treat, and put skins back on a mold to display in a house or even a case is just ludicrous, at best. I would not want to share my house with a dead creature from the great outdoors. I could not imagine snuggling up close with my significant other and children watching a move on the family channel with Bambi staring at me. My thoughts on hunting aside, a trophy comes in the form of something shiny and silver, not fuzzy with antlers.

Museums are the only justifiable cause for taxidermy, but that still doesn't take the creepy factor away. While it is important to be able to study animals and preserving them in their form certainly has benefits, the fact still remains that we are putting dead animals in a display case to be gawked and oggled. Personally, I'd rather visit the zoo.

Creepy doesn't even begin to describe the act of displaying Fluffy. Afterall, would you feel comfortable stuffing and displaying your Great Grandma Ida? I couldn't imagine it being a tribute...more of a tragedy.

I remember once visiting my own grandmother at her boyfriend's house. He lived in an apartment above his business decked out in leopard print everything. Standing next to his couch was a white furry dog. A mutt that never moved. It took me several minutes to realize this dog was no longer living. I wanted to bolt. I could never look at that man the same way again and couldn't possibly figure out what my grandmother saw in a man who would have his dog prepared and displayed in his house. This alone made me associate the man as a creepy and I didn't feel even a bit sad when the relationship ended. Let somebody else's grandmother deal with the dead dog, thank you very much!

In short, taxidermy is creepy at best and sometimes disturbing. I cherish my pets as though they are my family and my family does not become molded, stuffed, or displayed! Speaking of family, I wouldn't even want someone who thought displaying dead animals is a good idea to be dating my grandmother!