Playing God can be fun, but it can get you in jail

Sep 28, 2015 15:32 GMT  ·  By

Half spider, half squirrel, a double-headed swan with hooves, a parrot's head over an antelope's body. This guy was so illegally passionate about taxidermy that he put together creatures that would have frightened even Hieronymus Bosch.

Made by a guy called Enrique Gomez De Molina, these creatures' dead bodies were used as sculptures, or modular pieces that he felt free to combine in the most imaginative ways. He managed to put together animal heads, legs and bodies with such skill that they resemble fantasy animals that were never conceived before by the human mind. Asked why he did it, he replied, “I guess I like to play God.”

Sadly enough, his extreme imagination playing with exotic animals got him in prison for 20 months in 2012 for illegally importing animal parts and for trafficking in endangered and protected wildlife.

While being on trial, he wept crocodile tears for the endangered animals and considered his actions as a form of attracting attention towards the endangered species. However, thanks to his works, he created a deathly supply of exotic creatures, while managing to frequently sell taxidermied abominations for up to $80,000 a piece before his arrest.

According to beautifuldecay.com, it's unknown if he'll return to taxidermy now that his works have been mostly confiscated.

Nightmarish creatures by Gomez De Molina (8 Images)

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