Taxidermy business, nilinaw
Sa isang bahay sa Barangay Tandang Sora, Quezon City, pinatatakbo ng magasawang Reynaldo at Mary Rose Vinarao ang negosyong taxidermy sa kanilang garahe, hindi lang para i-‘immortalize’ ang mga patay na hayop kundi baguhin ang negatibong persepsiyon ng publiko sa taxidermy.
Sa loob ng 20 taon, si Reynaldo, isang engineer, ay nagpipreserba ng mga patay na hayop sa pamamagitan ng taxidermy, habang ang misis niyang si Mary Rose ang nagsisilbing manager ng kanilang negosyo na kilala bilang Taxidermist Philippines.
Sa panayam sa Balita nitong Oktubre 26, nilinaw ng mag-asawa ang mga alalahanin ng publiko na ang taxidermy ay hindi makatao.
“Taxidermy is not scary. It is art and science combined,” pahayag ni Mary Rose.
“Before we accept the specimen, we first know the story behind it. If the animal is exotic, we require the owners to show their permits. And most importantly, we don’t kill animals for the sake of business. The animals that were sent to us either died naturally or due to an incurable illness,” paliwanag nila.
Pinasinungalingan ni Mary Rose ang mga pananaw ng may-ari ng mga hayop na ang kanilang alagang hayop ay magmumukhang patay matapos ang proseso.
“The animals will look very much alive if the procedure is done properly. We are immortalizing their beloved pets,” aniya.
“My husband is an artist. Sometimes, if he does not want to work, I sometimes force him since the clients are always checking on their pets,” dagdag pa niya.
“Artists work in their own time and pace. This is because if you rush a piece of art, it will become a disaster and with this [taxidermy] type of art, it is unfair to the owners and their pets if he does not do his job right,” sabi pa ni Mary Rose.