Taxidermy gallery to come up at Sanjay Gandhi National Park

Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) might soon have a taxidermy gallery for people interested in the art and for students planning to make it their profession.

Dr Santosh Gaikwad has been working at the taxidermy centre since it was set up in 2009. He will be conducting the taxidermy of the flamingo. Pic/Nimesh Dave

Currently, SGNP has begun the taxidermy of a four-feet long flamingo. Once the gallery comes up, the stuffed bird will be displayed along with other animals for educational purposes.

The proposal for the gallery is in its planning stage and its construction will begin after all the authorities concerned give their nods. SGNP director and chief conservator of forests (CCF), Vikas Gupta, said, "Taxidermy has recently started gaining popularity and is one of the best methods to preserve rare animals and birds for people to study them."

SGNP's taxidermy centre was set up in 2009. Dr Santosh Gaikwad, taxidermist and associate professor at the anatomy department of the Bombay Veterinary College, has been working at the centre since then. He will be conducting the taxidermy of the flamingo.

"We recently found a four-feet flamingo that succumbed to its injuries during treatment. We decided to preserve it for educational purposes. The process will take about a month," said Dr Gaikwad.