Taxidermy and cryptozoology merge in unusual hobby

Christian is a trained taxidermist with a fascination and talent for creating unusual creatures. "I like my cryptozoology, I like these so-called mythical animals," he said. Cryptozoology deals with animals which may or may not exist. Hybrids like the Fiji mermaid (half monkey, half fish), the fur-bearing trout and the Swedish rabbit-bird are examples of such beasts; deftly fashioned by skilled taxidermists to appear as if they were real. "I've always been creative, I've always had a soft spot for animals, I've always grown up with pets," Christian said. "This seemed like albeit a weird match, it just seemed a match for all the different skills and all the different passions that I had." In his northern New South Wales home, Christian crafts all manner of preserved specimens. His workshop is adorned with a curious collection of horseshoe crabs, antlers, birds and fish. He has created several 'cryptids' such as a bat-winged cat and the fabled jackalope. "A jackalope is a rabbit with little tiny deer antlers," he said. "They usually stand on their back two legs." Wolpertingers, faux thylacines and two-headed mice Christian's workbench is covered with more than a dozen bird skeletons that a friend found in the leg of an antique diving suit. "I strip them down so it's just bare skeleton and then I mix and match it until I've got a complete one," he said.-READ MORE-http://www.abc.net.au/local/photos/2014/11/06/4122808.htm