A DH80,000 Lion is On Sale in the UAE & People Actually Want to Buy It

Publish date: Thursday، 07 September 2023

The 20th Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX) will feature a 'lion' for sale, asking Dh80,000. And suprisingly, a lot of interest has already been shown in the taxidermied lion being auctioned at the "Afrikan Tanning and Taxidermy" stand.

“We have about five or six offers,” revealed Pieter VanBergen, Manager and Taxidermist to Khaleej Times. “But of course, we are waiting for the best offer before making a final decision.” To each their own, we guess.

The art of taxidermy involves mounting or stuffing dead animals to preserve them for use in displays or scientific research. Typically, it puts animal skin that has been deftly removed after the animal has passed away on a fake body to make it look lifelike.

The skin, which had taken more than two months to create, had been obtained from a dead lion in South Africa, according to Pieter's wife and business partner Anne. “Pieter is the taxidermist and he worked on it every day for hours for more than two months,” she said. “It takes a certain level of artistry and skill to recreate the animal in its original form.”

The couple is visiting the UAE for the second time this year and also has other animal-related objects, such as quills made from porcupine thorns, in addition to the lion.

Anne claims that several neighborhood clients have asked them to stuff their dead animals, mainly birds. She remarked, "We have seen a lot of people who want their falcons stuffed. They want us to restore the dead body of their beloved bird so they can pay tribute to their late pet, which they have kept in the freezer. We want to launch a local service here because there aren't many people who provide this service."

Would you put a stuffed lion in your home?

A DH80,000 Lion is On Sale in the UAE & People Actually Want to Buy It