Misconceptions about Taxidermy in South Africa
Douglas debunks some misconceptions about Taxidermy in South Africa
We received a mail from a client who is busy planning their first South African Safari and has some questions about taxidermy .
There are many misconceptions about taxidermy in South Africa around price, quality and level of service. I want to summarise some misconceptions that are not true.
Quality of taxidermy in the 60’s and 70’s in South Africa was indeed below the standard of the international market. It was a direct result of poor tanning in the earlier years. The tanning of South African game skins has improved to such a degree that the quality of taxidermy today is on par and sometimes better than anywhere else in the world.
These are animals we know, and we work with every single day, so it stands to reason that the quality and anatomical correctness of your South African trophy when mounted at Splitting Image Taxidermy is going to be a splitting image of the animal that you shot.
Another misconception is that it is more expensive to ship completed trophies than it is to export raw trophies and have them completed in the US. An average package of trophies with shipping and taxidermy completed in South Africa works out to 20% cheaper than having the work exported as raw animals and completed in the US.
If you have a large number of full mounts, we suggest that you send those trophies in a raw form to our affiliate taxidermy studio, Taxidermy America based in Houston Texas.
Splitting Image Taxidermy has you covered whether you’re doing full mount buffalos, full mount giraffes and putting them into a museum that you’ve created. If you’ve got your first Sprinkbok shoulder mount or Kudu mount that you hunted hard for in the mountains, we can make sure that you get not only beautiful work but cost-effective export and the bottom line leaves you in a position where you can start planning for your next hunt.
Is the quality of service that you receive from a South African company the same as what you’re going to find in the United States? Every company differs. We want to say that we offer the best service to our clients anywhere in the industry. We have a client-centred approach, and for that reason, your needs come first.
While planning your next safari and considering your taxidermy, all I can suggest is sit back, relax and get a hold of Splitting Image Taxidermy and we’ll take care of the rest.
