For the first time ever, the World Taxidermy Championships are being held in Europe, in Salzburg, Austria to be precise. As ever, the work brims with life.  heh. Check out the official site here: www.taxidermy.net/wtc/  or for more images and an commentary on the events and people behind the exhibited creatures by Philip Bethge - "Finding Life in Dead Animals" - in the Spiegel (Enligh version online) click here +

The 3rd-annual Carnivorous Nights Taxidermy Contest was held November 2nd at Union Hall in Brooklyn on - what could be a more appropriate day - the Day of the Dead. Congradulations to Mike Zohn who received the Order of Carnivorous Knights Grand Prize for his "shadowbox mise en scene" of albino weasels posing as miniature polar bears. This year's judges were Darrin Lunde (the American Museum of Natural History's collections manager for mammalogy), Robert Marbury (co-director of the Minnesota Association of Rogue Taxidermists), Dorain Devins of the radio station WFMU, and - of course - the host of the event, Secret Science Club.

Check out all the other winners and see the rump ape, the patron saint of the taxidermy contest at http://secretscienceclub.blogspot.com/2007/11/long-live-taxidermy.html

EXCITEMENT! Ride the wave of emotion and excitement of watching the world's best taxidermists and carvers compete for the coveted Best in World Titles!

The website for the 2007 World Taxidermy and Fish Carving Championships in Reno declares that "No one ever forgets his first World Show!" Last year the event attracted entrants from 22 countries, making it the largest show of taxidermy in the world. In addition to the competitions (cash prizes total over $25,000.00), the event offers seminars by leading industry experts and a trade show featuring all the top suppliers of taxidermy products, services, and supplies. http://www.taxidermy.net/wtc/index.html

For the second year now, Margaret Mittelbach and Michael Crewdson have hosted "The Great Autumnal Taxidermy Get-Together" in Brooklyn, New York.  The event was originally  organised by Mittelbach and Crewdson as part of the launch of their book "Carivorous Nights: on the Trail of the Tasmanian Tiger." Last year the event showcased some of the weirdest taxidermy out there including included a mongoose entwined with a cobra, an armadillo handbag, and a crow named Poe after Edgar Allen Poe. The contest drew gawkers and contestants from across the metropolitan region as well as employees of the Parks Department and the American Museum of Natural History.  This year the judging will be done by Dorian Devins, a radio producer with an interest in science, and Rob Marbury, of the Minneapolis Association of Rogue Taxidermy (M.A.R.T.).  The event was held October 28th at Union Hall in Brooklyn. Among the winners were Nate Hill, who awarded the Squirrel Scrotum "You're friggin Nuts" Award, AV Jones, who won a M.A.R.T. membership with his Canceled Flight inspired Pigeon, and Takeshi Yamada who won a Membership and was crowned "Grand Champion."

The annoucement for the get-together was as follows:

Taxidermy! Announcing ... the most beastly pre-Halloween event of the year!

Bring your prized moose head, stuffed squirrel, jarred sea cucumber, rabbit relicts, snake skeleton, raven remains, and other fascinating biological specimens to Union Hall and enter it to win. The contest begins at 8:00 pm and will be judged by a panel of savage taxidermy enthusiasts, including WFMU's Dorian Devins and rogue taxidermist Rob Marbury. Prizes for best stuffed creature, most interesting biological oddity, and more! This year the taxidermy get-together is bigger and beastlier. Check out the pre-events, and sign up for the taxidermy master class, hosted by the Minneapolis Association of Rogue Taxidermy (MART), starting at 5 p.m. and followed by a vegan game feed at 6:30 p.m. Plus taxidermy-inspired tunes, chat and video!

Contest Rules: This contest is open to taxidermy (homemade, purchased, found), preserved and jarred specimens, articulated skeletons, skulls, pelts, gaffs ... and beyond.

Spectators (non-entrants) are invited to drink at Union Hall's cryptozoologically inspired basement bar, nosh on snacks, and cheer on their favorite specimens.

Check out the show: http://www.sideshowworld.com/TYGreatATaxidermy.html

Check out Mittelbach & Crewdson's book: "Carivorous Nights: on the Trail of the Tasmanian Tiger."