Full Mount Taxidermy

Full mount taxidermy is almost a must for some African trophies like the cats, that demand nothing less...if money and room space are no object.

This is going to be the biggest and most expensive taxidermy mount (excluding small animals) and it cannot be emphasised enough...use the very best taxidermist you can afford who is an expert in African animals. An award-winning Dall sheep taxidermist might not cut the mustard with an African lion. Look closely at the quality of his African full mount work. If you like it, enquire who actually did the work and insist the 'master' taxidermist work on your trophy. Remember display mounts in a studio or on websites are examples of the company's best work...is that standard always maintained?

The full skin is taken and the animal is usually mounted on a floor plinth or, in the case of a leopard sometimes, on a branch that can be wall mounted or on a pedestal.
If you are wanting a full mount of a cat, your taxidermist may advise you to take some measurements at various points on the body before skinning.
This type of mount will usually need lots of consultation with the taxidermist, as in most cases, it will be a custom-made form and set-up. Start looking for photographs of the chosen species to illustrate features and poses that you would like for your trophy. A good taxidermist will be able to tell you what's possible from the technical and aesthetic standpoint.
Often you will have an image in your own memory of your animal that you want to re-create for the full mount. Again, close consultation with a great taxidermist will bring your trophy 'to life' as you remember seeing it.
One step further will be creating a floor diorama with several animal species in full mounts, depicting an 'action' scenario like a lion leaping on an antelope or a pair of antelopes interacting.
Smaller African antelope and other small creatures like porcupines and springhares look good as full mounts.
If your trophy animal has a natural disfigurement such as only one eye, a drooping ear etc, let your taxidermist know if you want it to be mounted like this or corrected (where possible).
You will have the choice between having a 'habitat' base of grasses, rocks, sand etc or just plain wood.
Bullet holes and other similar damage will be repaired if possible.