Splitting Image Taxidermy is located on the East coast of South Africa in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern cape. Surrounded by rich hunting heritage and vast areas of wildlife the Eastern cape is the birth place of Splitting Image Taxidermy.
Contact Splitting Image Taxidermy and we will manage the full logistical process on your behalf. With our team of freight forwarders and clearing agents globally, we have simplified the process of getting your valued trophies into your selected studio.
By following our simple 5 step program, you are ensured that we will manage your Taxidermy process from the very beginning. Utilising the tags supplied in the Splitting Image Taxidermy "Taxidermy Information Pack", as well as the "Taxidermy and shipping instruction sheet" provided, you are assured that your trophies will be well marked and that clear instruction is given to your outfitter.
Lost trophies are only one of many pitfalls of inexperience or unscrupulous outfitters, professional hunters, safari companies and Taxidermists alike. What may seem like a bargain hunt, or a cheap deal on Taxidermy, may end up costing you everything the hunt was worth and more. Please take the time to contact us and allow us to assist in making sure your investment is safe.
CITES Import permits are the responsibility of the client.
Please note: The CITES Import permits are only valid for 1 year. Please contact your local conservation body to apply for CITES Import permits. A copy of the CITES Import permit must then be faxed to Splitting Image Taxidermy in order for Splitting Image Taxidermy to obtain a valid CITES Export permit. Your clearing agent, when clearing your trophies in your country, will request the original documents.
Should you require any assistance with CITES processes, please let our service team know and we will assist you throughout. This is unfortunately a process that we are not allowed to complete on your behalf, but we are very happy to help where we can.
We communicate via e-mail and telephone. You will always receive response to your mails within 24 hours during the week, or first thing Monday morning should you mail from Friday to Sunday.
Splitting Image Taxidermy logistical team will assist with the full export, import and delivery of your valued trophies to your home.
Depending on the service you require from Splitting Image Taxidermy, our team will clearly outline the steps involved and assist you throughout the process.
Please note: Shipping and delivery charges are not included in your Taxidermy or Dip and Pack account, unless otherwise stated.
By following our 5 step process, we will make contact with your outfitter and manage the collection/import/export to the taxidermy studio of your choice.
We do suggest that while on safari you clearly instruct your outfitter that Splitting Image Taxidermy will be assisting you with all of your taxidermy and/or trophy management requirements. In order to speed up the process, please let us know as soon after your hunt as possible that we can start working with your outfitter.
Occasionally you will hear rumours of sea freight not being recommended due to moisture and humidity contamination in transit. This has never been our experience and considering the volumes of cargo shipped across the ocean by boats each year, including everything from electronics to clothing, we can assure you this is not much of an issue.
Taxidermy is an art form. To many, taxidermy is a skin being thrown at a manikin with two glass eyes to finish it off.
At Splitting Image Taxidermy we believe that every animal we work on is unique and deserves our fullest attention to detail.
Your decision where to have your work completed is based on four simple variables:
Quality
Price
Simplicity
Loyalty
The first three are all closely related as we believe your chosen Taxidermist should be offering you a quality piece of art, at a fair and market related price, and that their service should cater for your needs and make the process as simple as possible, irrespective of where you hunt in the world.
The fourth factor is based on your previous experience and whether or not the first three points were delivered.
As the first global taxidermy management brand, Splitting Image Taxidermy is able to offer our clients peace of mind that the price they pay will be met by world class quality, and that the service will be professional and precise. The team at Splitting Image Taxidermy in South Africa, together with the North America service providers, are able to offer a global standard of quality and service.
Yes, Splitting Image Taxidermy offers various payment options to suit your budget. Please contact us via email to see how we can structure an option to best suit you.
You will be contacted by our Client Liaison Manager who will work through each mount individually with you. Should you require a custom mount, we will do design sketches of the idea and work with you to create YOUR truly unique piece of art.
Dip and Pack is the Sterilising process necessary to export any raw animal part across international borders.
In South Africa, the Department of Economic Affairs and Environmental Tourism, also known as DEAET, regulate this process. Further, all processes are in accordance with requirements of the US Fish and Wildlife.
The physical process of Dip and Pack entails the removal of all flesh and tissue from skulls, horns and bones, and the drying and bleaching of said skulls and bones.
All skins are dried, cleaned, and treated with anti bacterial powders to ensure that you trophy animal arrives at the Taxidermist in a dry, and pest free condition.
If you live close to one of these ports of entry, you can go there in person and clear your own trophies. Customs documentation will need to be filled out and you have to clear them by yourself with the relevant departments of Agriculture, Conservation and the Centres for Disease Control. However, most hunters either don't live close to a port of entry or do not wish to deal with the bureaucracy of clearing their own trophies. This is where a customs clearing agent is of great use.
Should you make use of one of our recommended shipping agents, they will assist you in choosing an appropriate clearing agent if you do not already have a relationship with one.
A customs clearing agents, or customs brokers, are licensed individuals or companies whose main business is clearing products through Customs for clients. There are lots of such companies out there, but only a few that intimately know the regulations regarding hunting trophies.
Absolutely not. Just as you can do your own taxes or defend yourself in court, you do not have to hire a trained professional. But common sense suggests that you should. There are lots of things you can legally do yourself. However, it requires pouring through reams of government information and paperwork to make sure you get it right, and there is still a big chance you may make a mistake. If you count your time as anything, it is money well spent to use an expert to help with importation.
SCI publish trophy insurance values annually. This (high) value takes into account the physical taxidermy and shipping bill, as well as the cost of the hunt, but this is only used as a guideline. The client can make the decision to insure the individual trophies for a higher or lesser value. A once off premium of approximately 1% of the insured value is payable before shipping the trophies.
The Bone Doctor is a unique service offered by Splitting Image Taxidermy where we apply our precision craftsmanship to create a skeletal structure for your trophy room or museum display.
We believe that shipping should be simple, affordable and efficient. We will apply for export permits on your behalf and walk you through every step of the process.
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