Images of what a dead giraffe seemed to be in the bed of a pick -up truck in Michigan, have become viral, making confused viewers looking for answers.
The photos came from a man who saw the exotic animal hanging awkwardly from a Ford F-150 who rode near Detroit.
The neck of the giraffe seemed bent, with his head on a protective coverage.
The original poster, Nathan Schemansky, said that the photos came from his 'buddy' who witnessed the shocking scene while he was on his way home of his work.
Schemansky wondered if the giraffe was even real, a reasonable question in view of the fact that the Land Mammal with a long neck is indigenous in Africa Bezuiden de Sahara, almost 8,000 miles from Detroit.
It turns out that the animal was authentic, because the driver who was seen it emerged to reveal the truth.
Darren Wehner, who works at St. Clair Flats Taxidermy about 45 miles outside of Detroit, confirmed to Fox 2 that the giraffe had died of old age in a zoo.
Wehner, a large game hunter and a taxidermist, explained that he was instructed to have the giraffe mounted so that it could be shown in a museum.
A dead giraffe is in the back of a Ford F-150 riding near Detroit, Michigan. It later turned out that the animal was in custody of a taxidermist of an area
Darren Wehner, who works at St. Clair Flats Taxidermy, was the one who drove the truck. He confirmed that the animal was real and that he spent 60 hours mounting
On the left is the mold on which the skin of the giraffe would be confirmed later. On the right is the end product
“My job is to keep them so that you can appreciate them forever,” he said. “Some people may find it strange or different, but for me it is art.”
Wehner said he has partnerships with safaris in South Africa that offer him animals to work on. His partners take the meat and bones out before they send Wehner what is left, usually just skin and fur.
“Every meat is used in Africa. There is zero meat that is wasted, “he explained.
He said he has mounted valued animals of almost 'every continent on earth'. His store is full of exotic creatures, including a rhino, a lion, a tiger and a zebra.
The assembly of the giraffe took him about 60 hours, he said.
“We love animals,” Wehner added. “I know it's a counter -intuitive argument and many people don't understand, but I promise you, we love animals.”
