Explore the stunning world of Animal Replicas
Hyper-realistic, handcrafted animal sculptures, animal models and animal replicas – 100% free of animal products.
The evolution of wildlife artistry for discerning collectors, museums, and luxury spaces.
MODERN TAXIDERMY MAKERS - FAKING IT BUT STILL MAKING IT WITH MODERN ANIMAL REPLICAS
Modern Taxidermy Makers. Animal Models. Animal Replicas.
We have a new romance with nature now, and there’s a very modern and urgent desire to repair the damage that has been done by man’s attempt at domination and control. Humans have finally realised there is a need to conserve the living, rather than preserve the dead.
During the 18th century many plundered animals from foreign lands ended up in British menageries, zoos, and circuses. Later, during the heyday of natural history in the 19th century, when global exploration and the push for scientific discovery was at a fever pitch, taxidermists played an essential role in the preservation and display of animals brought back to Britain after foreign expeditions.
Although we appreciate the legacy that the Victorian taxidermists left us, we now understand the damage that was caused by the plundering of animals (but that was hardly the fault of the taxidermist).
Lions, Tigers and Bears. Oh My!
The urgent need for conservation
What could be worse than the human desire for empty power that the capture and killing of big game during the Victorian era brought?
Lions, Tigers, Bears and Beast. They were all treated as essential trophies that had to be sacrificed for man’s pleasure and ego.
Rather than trophy-hunters, today its nature-lovers, conservationists and interior designers and artists who dominate the conversation about the place of nature within our lives.
These days respected, professional, licensed Taxidermists still produce high quality taxidermy animal mounts – but only from animals that have died in zoos from natural causes and not from hunting.
Photo credits: Tennants Auctioneers
Taxidermists have now achieved what they originally set out to do which was to create real representations of life, and this continues to advance the public’s awareness of the urgent need for conservation.
Today’s Modern Taxidermy Makers and Artists are building a new romance with the past
Although we have come a long way since the 18th century and before, arguably there’s still a long way to go. It’s likely that more and more species will become extinct and so the modern taxidermy artist still has a job to do in helping to preserve the specimens that people may never be able to see again.
There are some pioneering, modern taxidermy artists who are helping to take this conservation movement even further because they are instead producing high-quality animal replicas.
Just like the realisation that came about in the 1990s with the campaign against wearing real fur, there’s now a realisation that animal replicas and models are an essential substitute for those natural animals we want to display, decorate with, and to learn from.
Whether it’s for television and film, for theatres, for interior design, or for fashion, the demand for animal models and replicas is real and it’s growing, not least because there are continued difficulties for museums and educational places in sourcing natural specimens to display, especially when there’s a need to reflect specific themes like evolution and climate change. The difficulties are basic i.e. taking animals from the wild is a no-go area and adhering to restrictions and permit processes are a significant challenge.
The natural world has always provided inspiration for interior decoration and fashion, and that isn’t going to end anytime soon. So, when the “real thing” simply isn’t available, ethical, or practical to display then animal replicas and animal models have a role to play, especially with their scientific accuracy and their ability to educate and inspire.
Two companies at the forefront of supply for this movement are UK-based Animatronic Animals run by Simon Wilson, and Germany-based Animal Replicas run by Ami Zarug and Chen Alfi.
Their animal models and animal replicas do not compromise in any way on the surprise and the beauty that taxidermy animals offer.
Simon Wilson
is
Simon the Stuffa
and Animatronic Animals
Simon Wilson is the company director of Animatronic Animals Ltd and is also known as “Simon the Stuffa.” He has over 30,000 followers on Instagram
Simon drew on his taxidermy skills to make a shift to model-making for the TV and film industry. which now forms a significant part of his business.
Simon started work as a live animal trainer, but he gave that up in favour of creating animal substitutes that he says, “didn’t bite.” He has produced both models and traditional taxidermy mounts for many films, including my own personal favourite “The Gentlemen,” Guy Richie’s Netflix film starring Theo James and Daniel Ings. His credits also include “House of the Dragon,” “Bridgerton” (featuring the gorgeous Regé-Jean Page) and the epic “Gladiator II“.
Simon still works with real animal skin but also now with synthetic materials. Whether he’s producing a taxidermy mount or whether it’s an animal replica, there aren’t many things that he cannot make. After working for the last twenty-six years in the film industry, he can take on projects that others say are impossible and is willing to produce anything from a mouse to an elephant.
Image credits: Photography courtesy Simon Wilson and PA Real Life. All rights reserved.
Animal Replicas
Ami Zarug and Chen Alfi
At Animal Replicas Ami Zarug and Chen Alfi are artists making lifelike animal replica and handcrafted decorative artworks. At Instagram they have many thousands of followers.
Their client base is dynamic, spanning high-end private collectors, museums, influential interior designers working on private residences, offices, hotels, and restaurants, and high-profile individuals across the American, European, and broader international markets, with a significant focus on the US. They also serve influential projects in luxury fashion and major film and television productions.
A key common thread across these sectors is the demand for uncompromised realism combined with material commitment (100% animal-product-free). This was vividly highlighted during Animal Replica’s collaboration with the Schiaparelli fashion house and Creative Director Daniel Roseberry, where their hyper-realistic animal heads, prominently displayed on iconic models like Naomi Campbell, generated global conversation about the intersection of haute couture, wildlife preservation, and the legacy of taxidermy and hunting. Their ability to deliver anatomically precise, visually arresting art pieces through their animal models allows clients in these influential industries to realize grand creative visions while adhering to a sustainable approach.
Image credits: Photography courtesy of Animal Replicas by Ami Zarug & Chen Alfi. All rights reserved.
”Traditional taxidermy served a crucial historical purpose in preserving specimens, but modern sensitivities and the necessity for wildlife conservation demand a new approach. At Animal Replicas, we see our work not as a replacement, but as the evolution of a craft. We transition from preserving the physical body of a single animal to preserving the essence of the species itself. By setting a new standard for hyper-realistic, 100% animal-product-free masterpieces, we have influenced a broader industry shift. Our replicas allow museums and collectors to celebrate the majesty of wildlife with a core material commitment. This development is integral to the changing public reception of the art form.
Chen AlfiCo-Founder and Visionary at Animal Replicas
”The high standard of Victorian taxidermy was rooted in an obsessive pursuit of anatomical accuracy. This dedication to precision is the philosophical core of our modern method. We begin every piece with deep anatomical research, ensuring the replica is scientifically sound. The challenge is to inject that knowledge into synthetic materials—to capture the subtle life in the eyes and the movement in the fur texture, without harming a single creature. We are honouring the craftsmanship of the past by applying master-level skill towards a sustainable, forward-looking creation.
Ami ZarugMaster Sculptor at Animal Replicas.
The Collectors’ Dilemma
In the world of collecting of Victorian taxidermy there is currently an alarm bell ringing.
The number of quality collectibles is limited to what has survived from the Victorian era, and the number of high-quality cases by the finest of the Victorian artists is even more limited.
The prices for the high quality examples are rising rapidly due to the ability of global collectors to access anything via the internet from anywhere. Much of it is leaving Britain’s shores permanently (and believe me, as an avid market-watcher I can vouch for this).
So “availability” also adds itself to the list of factors working against the traditional collector, with price and deteriorating condition being availability’s bedfellows.
With increasing and justifiable attention on wildlife conservation there are CITES regulations which limit the movement and sale of antique specimens and some cannot even be exported from their country of origin. The Migratory Birds Acts prohibits certain species from being imported into the USA for example. So I think on this point, replicas have a big role to play.
There’s already a new generation of modern taxidermists who are creating mounts of high quality that visually compete with yesterday’s creations using real skins – think of Tony Armitstead or Carl Church, for example. These fetch significant prices and attract admiration.
So, with these points in mind, I am asking a pointed question: is there yet emotional acceptance by serious collectors that replicas will satisfy their desire for the high class chic that real skins bring?
I think the jury is out on that one, and probably for quite some time to come.
