A
s a taxidermist based in Brisbane, I have noticed
a growing popularity amongst pet owners and
breeders seeking to preserve birds and reptiles. A
few years back I might have got one or two enquiries
about it a month; now I get them every few days. It
seems the negative stigma that existed in the past is
evolving and that taxidermy is now being seen more as a
celebration of wildlife, rather than the destruction of it;
and it is carving out new territory somewhere between
the realms of art, education and commemoration. It’s
coming to be recognised as work that respects animals
and is focused on capturing and preserving the beauty of
living things.
My name is Lauren Hundloe, taxidermist at Eternal
Creatures Taxidermy Studio. Just four years ago I was
part of the corporate world, but in 2014 I took a volun-
tary redundancy, packed up my life in Australia and
moved to San Francisco, keen for a career change as far
removed from a desk job as I could find.
With nothing more than a mild curiosity about taxidermy
and time up my sleeve, I thought it would be cool to learn
to bring things back to life. I’d joked about it in the
past, but purely because being a taxidermist
seemed a more interesting talking point than my
career as a policy officer with the Government. So
I did some searches online and was disappointed
that all I could find in the way of taxidermy
schools in the San Francisco area was a couple of
one-day bird and squirrel classes. I signed up for
the squirrel class and went along not knowing what
to expect. Despite my initial trepidation, I quickly settled
in to the class and was surprised to find that I found the
process somewhat cathartic. At the end of the day,
standing back and looking at my creation, I felt a huge
sense of achievement at the tangible outcome my hard
work had produced. I realised that day, the feeling of true
accomplishment, and having something physical to show
for my efforts, were the very things that had been lacking
in my previous career. Suddenly, I was hooked.
I pestered the teacher of the squirrel class to take me on
as an apprentice, and a short while later I was under his
wing learning both traditional and modern techniques
covering birds, small mammals and large game, fish and
reptiles, and methods ranging from traditional wrapping
of forms, to carving and casting forms, and freeze-drying.
I found that the work I enjoyed most was reptiles and
birds, so focussed on honing my skills in those areas.
I fully immersed myself in the world of taxidermy. When
I wasn’t at the studio, I spent time volunteering at
America’s first wildlife refuge, the Rotary Nature Centre
in Oakland, where I prepared taxidermy mounts and
study skins for displays, and delivered bird and snake
taxidermy demonstrations to the public. I began teaching
others and presented small mammal and bird taxidermy
classes in San Francisco. I also volunteered with and was
mentored by Oakland Museum of California taxidermist,
Alicia Goode, who trained me in the traditional methods
of specimen preservation for museum collections as well
as restoration and conservation techniques. The contrast
‘Fox Studios NEEDED PROPS for the latest
instalment in the A LIEN FILM FRANCHISE ;
I produced six pieces of taxidermy in
seven days.’
between what I learned from my two mentors and the
experience I gained in the United States provided me
with a solid grounding to return to Australia where, in
March 2016, I opened my own taxidermy studio.
To start with it was tough: I didn’t know where to get
specimens in Australia; I had to learn the laws around
taxidermy, which differ from state to state; and getting
straight answers from anyone
was harder than I could have
anticipated. I had assumed there
would be a tannery nearby, but
there wasn’t, so suddenly there
was a pretty significant gap in
my training that I had to deal
with by teaching myself to tan
skins in my garage. Despite the
initial struggles, it wasn’t long
before I was inundated with
work. There are a handful of
other taxidermists in South East
Queensland – a few that cater to
the hunting crowd and a fish
specialist. My training allowed
me to fill the small niche in the
market for reptiles and birds.
Within my first 12 months in
operation in Australia, I hit what
may be the pinnacle of my