Alex Mutati, 33, has worked at Kenya's National Museums of Kenya's Ornithology department since 2011, continuing a family tradition that began with his father, Livingstone Syingi Kathele, who joined the institution in 1962. The taxidermist's expertise includes preparing bird specimens for scientific study, display, and preservation of pets, with one notable example being a martial eagle mounted in 1942.
Mutati's early exposure to taxidermy came through his father's training sessions in Kitui County, where European visitors sought to preserve pets as cultural artifacts. This influenced his career path, leading him to specialize in avian taxidermy. His father, who retired in 1998, still trains museum professionals, maintaining the craft's generational continuity.
The taxidermy process involves creating study skins for reference, flat skins for analysis, and mounted specimens for display. Mutati described techniques like fumigation to prevent decay and wire support for lifelike mounting. His international training includes a 2015 course in Cameroon and a 2016 program in Tokyo, where he observed Japan's commercialized taxidermy industry.
Kenya's 1977 hunting ban and 2013 Wildlife Act restrict commercial trophy preservation, though pet carcasses may be prepared with museum consultation. Costs for preserving a peacock range from Ksh150,000 to Ksh200,000. Dr. Peter Njoroge, head of ornithology, noted taxidermy's decline due to shifting wildlife policies, though Mutati emphasizes its role in scientific research and conservation.
Despite habitat loss and legal constraints, Mutati maintains that taxidermy bridges cultural heritage and ecological understanding. His work preserves not only animal specimens but also historical links between human activity and wildlife conservation in East Africa.
