Mumbai, July 2 (IANS) Moved by the gesture of a taxidermist, Maharashtra Governor K. Sankaranarayanan was elated when the preserved trophy of his favourite peacock, which died in May, was presented to him here Monday.
Sankaranarayanan expressed his appreciation for Santosh Gaikwad, the taxidermist who preserved the peacock using modern scientific methods.
Raj Bhavan has a flock of 15 peacocks and peahens. This peacock, one of the only six full grown peacocks, was found lying injured on the lower drive of the Raj Bhavan on May 23. It was immediately shifted to Bombay Veterinary College at Parel. However, it had succumbed to its injuries the next day.
Saddened by the news of the death of the peacock, Sankaranarayanan had directed the officials of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park to preserve the dead peacock in the form of a taxidermy trophy so that the same would be displayed in Raj Bhavan for many years.
After looking at the trophy, Sankaranarayanan said that the peacock trophy looked as majestic as the original peacock that he had seen strutting along the lower drive of Raj Bhavan for many days during his morning walk.
It is for the first time that a peacock has been preserved in Raj Bhavan using the scientific taxidermy techniques.
