Where to Learn Taxidermy in the Philippines?

If you just recently lost your pet and still want his presence around the house then stuffing Bantay might just be the thing for you. But first you have to learn how to get beneath the skin.


Mammals for taxidermy are best preserved smiling :p

For people who have a certain fondness for dead things, preserving and curating for taxonomic reasons (or some freaky fetish), you must learn how to make your great find - keepsake, trophy, pet, specimen - last as long as you do. Why not head off to the National Museum of the Philippines for a week long session of taxidermy?


Edward Hart's Prize Fight. A famous exhibit of
Theatrical Taxidermy- mounted animals depicting human lives.

Taxidermy is not just for Norman bates. But for every normal kate, juan and harry who love animals. Taxidermy is the skillful art of preparing, stuffing, and mounting the skins of dead animals with surgical precision.

I would highly recommend the workshop for biology students and those who want to reminisce their days in comparative anatomy lab. The techniques and epidermal stylings of taxidermy is possible on all vertebrate species of animals including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. In the field of museology, this is quite an important skill particularly if your manning the Formaldehyde stash in the zoology section.

This rare Taxidermy session in the Philippines goes on for about one week and the training will include lectures, demonstrations and workshops, plus a wild visit inside the prized specimen collections of the National Museum’s Zoology Division, which includes interaction with taxidermy experts (veteran skinners who have move onto larger mammals).

For all ye know, your loving dog Bantay would make a great heirloom for your grand kids.



For info on the Philippine National Museum Taxidermy class, email or call Mel Lagartija and Jes Arella of the Museum Education Division at telefax no. 5270278 mlagartija@yahoo.com, museum.education.nm@gmail.com.

Pinoys take Pride! If you don't want to skin anything - dead or alive - please do support our National Museum. Go plan a visit! It may not be as snazzy as the Smithsonian, but dang we got a pretty decent collection in the tropics, not to mention the most passionate museum curators.