A smell of game floats around Mohammad Buhegloo?s workshop. This is not surprising in view of the several stuffed stag heads on the wall. The more so as the hunting season has been on since the beginning of the month. The trophies are all exhibited in the small workshop and Mohammad smiles as he explains, ?All these are not mine. Many belong to hunters who have brought them to me to be stuffed. They?ll soon have pride of place on the walls of their owners? houses.? But he nevertheless admits, ?Some of them are mine. As I go hunting every weekend, I like to keep them as souvenirs??

What is obvious about Mohammad is that he doesn?t only like his job as a taxidermist- he likes everything else that goes with it? More particularly hunting every Sunday! You only have to see the many gundogs in his courtyard to be convinced that he likes going in the forest. A whole area of the garden is dedicated to the three fully- booked kennels. With their long ears, it seems the dogs are only waiting for the moment they will be let loose in the greenery to chase some game.

Next to the kennels stand two young men who soon come to join Mohammad in the workshop. ?My two sons,? he announces. Nooruddin, 19, and Mammon, 15, both help their father after school. They know the job as they have always been around the workshop. Although Nooruddin is older, he is not going to be the successor. ?I want to become an accountant,? he explains. His younger brother looks more interested in perpetuating the tradition? His eyes sparkle as his father introduces him as the future taxidermist of the family.

The whole family is definitely involved in this job. Mohammad?s daughter, Zinnat who is 30 is also in the business. She is the most experienced of the three and takes pleasure in doing the job.

It is to be noted that stuffing animals is part of the family tradition. Mohammad?s father used to be a taxidermist and his three sons have followed his footsteps. ?In fact, I have never been to school. I was always with my father in his workshop and this is how I learned to do the job? This is also how my children learned.? Next obvious question, how did the grandfather learn? ?Well, my father was quite poor. His passion was hunting. As he was looking for a job, he thought of trying to learn to do this one on his own. By dint of trying, he finally succeeded and this is how the business eventually worked??

<B>Work odd hours</B>

Taxidermists need a certain number of qualities to be able to do their job and it seems the whole family has managed to develop them. ?First you shouldn?t be squeamish. Then, you should be patient and willing to work odd hours,? Nooruddin explains. Though Mohammad appears reluctant to reveal the techniques he uses, he finally agrees to tell us in part. He explains that the one condition for success is that the animal must reach the workshop no more than 24 hours after its death. Then, they take all the flesh of the animal out, put a solution in to preserve the hide, stuff it and then sew it up making sure the stag or whatever other animal keeps its original shape. All this must be done within one week to prevent decay.

The season will end in September. As every year, the Bhugeloos will have striven to make the maximum during the season, as they don?t know what will happen during the close season which lasts eight months. Of course, the marlins, cows, turtles ? even a leopard ? in the middle of the workshop are proof that they will be able to continue earning a living - he can stuff anything ?except pigs?, he says.