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Bereaved pet owners turn to taxidermy in Pakistan

July 17, 2021 / 7:23 PM
Sharjah 24 – AFP: Carefully preserving an animal takes patience and attention to detail -- luxuries Pakistani Jahangir Khan Jadoon says he doesn't always have when a bereaved pet owner rushes into his workshop.
"Sometimes an emotional customer will bring his dead pet with tears still in his eyes saying, 'I can't live even a night without him'," the taxidermist tells AFP from his studio near the eastern city of Lahore.

Surrounded by stuffed leopards, deers, parrots and cats, Jadoon sees his craft as both an art and a vital way to console those in pain. 

Some animals can take days to properly preserve while others take weeks, depending on the size and particulars of the animal. 

First the skin is carefully removed, washed, and then exposed to the sun. The animals are then stuffed and carefully sown back together while their eyes are replaced with glass balls. 

But there are times, Jadoon admits, when he has only hours to bring comfort to a distraught client, making the delicate process all the more difficult. 

"Someone with a parrot or a cat will come and request us to preserve the pet as soon as possible. They say: 'do it now'. So in such cases we have to apply extra chemicals. Even then it can take hours," he adds.

Over the years, Jadoon has seen a wide range of species brought into his workshop, from rare leopards to a cassowary bird that lived in a Pakistan zoo for decades. 

"I learnt this skill from my forefathers. My grandfather started it in 1918 after a deer died in Lahore's zoo," Jadoon tells AFP, saying that he has also stuffed his fair share of animals that merely serve as decorations for fancy homes.  
 
July 17, 2021 / 7:23 PM

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