Ethical Sourcing: Taxidermy
Studying natural history throughout time has created the art and science of taxidermy. In the past, it was the virtual reality machine of their age. It gave people a sense of what wildlife looked like and what the world was like in the places where they’ve never been.
In today’s era, natural history museums around the world seek to use more ethical teaching tools and many are reconsidering these types of dated displays all together. However, these outdated specimens are finding their way to antique stores like Iron Crow for enthusiasts to appreciate.
Today a large percentage of specimens are the result of road traffic accidents, which sadly, is a frequent occurrence especially on Canadian rural roads. Preserving the beauty of these fallen animals for others to appreciate has become an art for many modern taxidermists. Iron Crow does not at any point condone or knowingly participate in any commercialization of wildlife products where prohibited by law.
Throughout the world, hunting and mounting animals for sport still does exist, but most stores like ours maintain a desire for ethical sourcing. At Iron Crow, we strive to source our pieces with as much background knowledge as possible. To us, ethical-sourcing taxidermy (and other historical items) means that all of our taxidermy mounts are vintage, died a natural death, or that at no time recently were hunted or killed for sport. No animals have been killed specifically for our use and Iron Crow has met all legal obligations and requirements for the sale of these products.
All in all, taxidermy promotes an education of the natural world and the conservation efforts that keep the species we represent flourishing. We understand, however, that occasionally there are customers with specific concerns and we count on our community to help us define our ethical obligations.
If you have felt affected by a product in our store, please contact Iron Crow as soon as possible.