What do the narwhal in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the chickens in Tomb Raider, and Alexander McQueen’s Birds of Paradise gown have in common? They are all the creations of Bovingdon-based taxidermist Simon Wilson.
Driving down a quiet farm track, you arrive at an unassuming warehouse marked only by a hanging dolphin – a small clue to the wonders inside. At the door, Simon greets you with a warm smile, ready to invite you into a world that combines natural history, cinema, and high fashion.
While no one likes the idea of walking into a room full of staring strangers, it is even more bizarre when you instantly lock eyes with a lion, giraffe, grizzly bear, wolf, and even a unicorn.
It was quite a sensation being up close to animals that I have only dreamed of seeing in real life, yet Simon moved through the room with easy familiarity.
Pointing casually to specimens, Simon, who also worked as a live animal trainer, would remark: “I worked with him while he was still alive.”
Simon’s fascination began at age nine, inspired by visits to the Natural History Museum. After leaving school, he pursued other work, but fate intervened when an animal trainer spotted his bird mounts in a shop window. One conversation led to Simon working on a film set, and with it, embarking on a new life.
Simon started in the film industry working alongside live animals, from Hedwig the owl in Harry Potter to the squirrels in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Having handled everything from a hummingbird to a polar bear, Simon decided to focus again on taxidermy as he was “sick of being bitten and chased all the time”.
The work is often unpredictable. Once, while transporting a lion, trapped air escaped from its lungs and produced an uncanny roar from the backseat.
Recently, you may have seen Simon’s work in the likes of The Gentlemen, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Bridgerton, Gladiator II, and House of the Dragon, to name a few.
He also worked hand-in-hand with the late and great designer Alexander McQueen, who would let Simon “have the reigns” when it came to his more animalistic pieces. This includes the Birds of Paradise gown worn by FKA Twigs and the Widow’s Weeds gown, both of which were made from real animal pieces.
Yet it isn’t only high-profile commissions that define Simon’s career. His imagination has conjured roller-skating alpacas, a crocodile serving tea, a bear on the toilet inside a telephone box, and perhaps most famously, a floating giraffe attached to balloons – a piece that sold at auction for over £100,000.
Today, he often blends taxidermy with animatronics, creating flexible models that mimic life. One recent commission involved a convincingly dying chicken.
Simon’s work has seen him hired for films, museum displays, and exhibitions across the world. He also shares his knowledge by teaching, donating specimens, and guiding others into the craft.
Each animal tells a story of a life lived, but also marks an achievement or project Simon has added to the art.
Visiting his world proved something to me: while many see taxidermy as an art of death, Simon’s work celebrates life through capturing and preserving the beauty of animals in ways both magical and unforgettable.
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