A vegan taxidermist who specialises in stuffing roadkill has sold a ‘rat purse’ to a New York buyer for more than £300.
Nicola Hebson, 23, of Great Harwood, started stuffing owls, mice, rats and chinchillas in 2011.
As a committed vegan and animal lover, Nicola might not be the most likely person to take to taxidermy. However, she only uses roadkill or pets that have died naturally and says she believes it’s a lot more ethical than killing animals for meat.
Nicola said: “I have always had a close relationship with nature. My mum will tell you stories of me keeping worms in cups and putting slugs in my mouth to clean them as a very young child.
“As I grew older I always wanted to work with animals in some way or another. When I started college back in 2006 I began taking photographs of roadkill. I started seeing beauty in decay.”
Since those early experiments Nicola has perfected her craft and since 2013 she has been giving taxidermy tutorials in Blackburn. She also recently celebrated the sale of a rat purse for £345.
Nicola is soon to open her own shop in Blackburn with the support of the Blackburn is Open regeneration scheme.
For more information about Nicola’s work visit nicolahebson.com
