Drivers in Metro Detroit couldn’t believe their eyes when they spotted a full-size giraffe in the back of a pickup truck.
The giraffe was completely real—but not in the way most people feared.
The animal was not alive but instead, a preserved specimen being transported by taxidermist and big game hunter Darren Wehner.
“My job is to preserve them so you can appreciate them forever,” Wehner explained. “Some people may find it strange or different, but to me, it’s art.”
The giraffe died naturally of old age at a zoo before being sent to Wehner’s St. Clair Flats Taxidermy for preservation.
Wehner, who has safari partnerships in South Africa, was commissioned to prepare the animal for display in a museum.
He explained that once he receives the animal, the process is no different than working with leather.
“It’s just leather with hair on it,” he said.
Some made jokes about Geoffrey the Giraffe from Toys ‘R’ Us, while others expressed concern for the animal’s welfare.
Wehner, who also promotes “green hunts”—using tranquilizer darts instead of bullets—insists that his work is about preservation, not harm.
“We love animals. I know it’s a counter-intuitive argument, but I promise you, we love animals.”
Wehner’s property in Ira, Michigan, is home to more than just mounted wildlife.
Among his live animals is a 9-month-old kangaroo named Atlas, who lives on the farm as part of the community.
And as for the giraffe? Soon, it will live on forever in a museum, where visitors can appreciate its majesty up close—without needing to do a double-take in traffic.