'I once put a snake around Cher's neck': Meet the Bovingdon-based taxidermist inspired by Tring Museum who turned a hobby into a career
A taxidermist based out of Bovingdon says he is extremely lucky to have been able to turn his unusual hobby into a very successful profession.
Simon Wilson, aged 62, who runs his own business Animatronic Animals Ltd, says he was influenced by the Natural History Museum in Tring when he started stuffing animals at the age of nine.
Now 50 years later has spent his working life completing quirky projects and travelling the world working behind the scenes on films, working out of his studio in Bovingdon.
Although he normally works alone, Simon does bring in people to help on some projects which have included work on blockbusters like Harry Potter, Robin Hood and the Tomb Raider films.
He has also trained animals for commercials, movies and other projects.
“One of my highlights was putting a snake around Cher’s neck for an album cover [It’s A Man’s World}” he recalled.
He has fond memories of the Natural History Museum in Tring, which he says is still his favourite.
“I was always at the Natural History Museum with my parents,” Simon said, “and I always go there because I think it is much better than the London one, which is all posters.”
Simon’s company supplies taxidermy and models of animals in either rigid fibreglass or flexible rubber, or natural skin for the film and television industry and museum exhibitions.
Recalling how his hobby turned into a profession, Simon said: “A year after I said to my dad that I would like to stuff animals, my dad said my foreman’s son is a taxidermist and did I want to see how he does it. I met him and it went from there.”
his big break came when the owner of an animal agency contacted him and asked for a stuffed chicken for a film.
“I went and met him, he had lots of animals, and he realised I could handle them,” Simon recalled.
“He asked if I would like to work with him, so I did that for eight years, which included TV programmes such as The Big Breakfast.
“I then went off on my own doing that and taxidermy. As I got older I got fed up chasing animals around rooms, so I concentrated on taxidermy.”
Simon is often working seven days a week to keep up with the demand for his services, and says with jobs for movies he often doesn’t get the timescale he would ideally want.
“To do taxidermy on movies you have to be prepared to work seven days a week, and work all night if you have to,” he explained.
“Film companies often leave things to the last minute and then ask for two weeks' work in two days.
“I recently finished a job where I was asked for a stuffed lion, a model of a tiger, a model of a black panther and a stuffed leopard within a month. I did it, but it was hard work.”Simon plans to continue his work as a taxidermist for as long as he is physically able, and has this advice for those planning to follow in his footsteps.
“Animal agencies are always looking for people, so just go for it,” he said. “To do it as a career, you really have to get into doing it for TV and film. If it wasn’t for movies, I would have been doing it as a hobby in my garden shed.”