Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement has been entrusted with the unusual task of matching up hundreds of taxidermied animals with their rightful owners.
Alex Muirhead, owner of Advantage Taxidermy, ran a taxidermy business out of his Edmonton home for over 40 years before he passed away last month. Taxidermy is the art of preserving, stuffing, and mounting the skins of animals for display. Muirhead was well-known among hunting and fishing enthusiasts for his high-quality work.
His family was left dealing with all the unsettled accounts, some of which date back several years. Ashley Ziegler and her husband dropped off a Mallard duck in the fall of 2015, and said Muirhead told her it would be ready in a year.
She followed up in late 2016, asking if the bird would be ready for Christmas as it was intended to be a gift that was being sent outside Canada. She was told the duck was being worked on, and Muirhead said he would do up the paperwork necessary for shipping.
“So I left it with him, but checking up on it every week,” Ziegler said, adding Christmas came and went and still no word on when her duck would be ready. “I called a few days after and he said his health wasn’t good, but he was still going to get it done for me.”
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When Ziegler followed up last week, she found out Muirhead had passed away, and the family had arranged a pickup day for customers to collect their trophies on Jan. 30.
“So I went on Sunday to go get my duck and unfortunately I am one of the people who are on the unidentified list,” Ziegler explained. She believes Muirhead may not have got around to tagging her order before he passed away.
Ziegler said she paid $640 for the taxidermy services and is now waiting to see if her duck shows up.
Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement collected the remaining items, and is now beginning the lengthy process of reuniting hundreds of birds, game head, mammals and other taxidermied animals with their owners.
People who are still waiting to collect their items from Advantage Taxidermy are asked to contact Fish and Wildlife Edmonton district office at 780-427-3574.
The province said callers should be ready to provide the following information: name, address, phone number, email, Wildlife Identification Number, a description of the animal, the date it was dropped off, any records, receipts or documentation and any photos.
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