20-foot-tall mounted giraffe causes rubbernecks in Washington

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A legally-shot giraffe that has been stuffed and mounted in front of the Northwest Taxidermy Training building in Washington state is causing passersby, neighbors and animal lovers to raise an eyebrow as they drive past. Some even honk and express disapproval. None of this affects Paul Wieser, a hunter and collector who says he understands the feedback.

“The average guy traveling on Bridgeport Way doesn’t encounter giraffes on the highway, at least not these days,” Wieser told The News Tribune. “And even back then, it was bears and stuff like that.”

Wieser, of Lakewood, Wash., has paved over his indoor pool so he can display the 20-foot giraffe that he shot and killed in Africa. The beautiful animal won’t be alone, it will join the hippopotamus and elephant that Mr. Wieser also killed on safari in Namibia. Wieser, whose home displays dozens of wild animal heads on his walls, says that all the meat from the game is eaten.

Taxidermist Roger Hamel told KING 5 news that only a few people driving by have yelled out ‘murderer’ as he has been working on mounting the giraffe in front of his shop. Apparently Hamel and Wieser share the same type of thick skin.

Wieser said he’s been dealing with hunting critics ever since he shot his first bird more than 50 years ago.

“A lot of our friends who aren’t hunters say, ‘How can you kill Bambi?’ ” said Wieser.

Wieser credits responsible hunters for improving animal populations by paying for permits and obeying African laws. He said he’s never poached an animal or killed anything illegally.

“All the animals we harvest as hunters,” said Wieser, “They feed local people.”

Hamel is charging Wieser several thousand dollars to stuff the giraffe. The exact price isn’t being revealed because Wieser says his wife will ‘kill him’ if she finds out.

-- Tony Pierce

the News Tribune