DIK-DIK

A dik-dik (Madoqua) is a small antelope that lives in the bushlands of eastern and southern Africa. Female Dik diks are larger than the males and they both have a light brown coat. When scared, the dik dik produces a panicked sound which sounds like “Zik zik”, which is possibly how the Dik dik got its name.Their hooves have rubbery bottoms, ideal for rocky areas. They are very nocturnal, avoiding the heat because of possible water loss.

Additional information

Mount Type

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Facts

• Only the male has horns.
• In the wild, dik diks have a lifespan of 3-4 years, while in captivity they have a lifespan of 10 years.
• They weigh only 10-12 pounds.

Taxidermy

Thorough preparation is the key factor to ensuring a high-quality final product. All hides are tanned and oiled using the world’s very best available chemicals and processes to ensure permanence and longevity.Forms are selected to ensure the best fit and posture will be altered to suit you, the client’s preference without additional cost. Natural habitat bases are custom-made for full mount trophies without additional cost.Only the finest materials and 40 years of professional experience are used in defining your trophies in a whole new way. The final trophies are almost Life-Formed. When the restoration is required, every effort is made to repair cuts and abrasions, and to minimise bullet damage. Natural scarring is kept unless otherwise requested.

Habitat

Dik diks prefer to live in areas with many edible plants such as shrubs. They enjoy grasses, leaves, berries and shrubs to feed on. They get their water intake from the vegetation they consume. Salt is also very important for Dik dik’s diet.They like to live in groups in territories and are quite social. They blend in with their surroundings because of their light brown, almost dusty, coats.

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Professional Dik-Dik Taxidermy

 

Among antelopes, the dik-dik stands apart. It is a member of the Madoqua genus. Dik-diks are the smallest of the African antelope species. A dik-dik is 50–70 cm in length and 3–6 kg in mass. Roughly speaking, a dik-dik has a lifespan of 10 years. Female dik-diks are known for their distinctive warning sounds, thus the name. When danger is near, they give others a heads up by whistling from their long, narrow muzzles.

 

A male dik-dik and a female dik-dik will differ in significant ways. Male dik-diks are distinguished by a tiny, recurved horn on their head. Male horns may reach a maximum length of 7.6 centimetres. Their hairs, which form a crown on top of their heads, obscure their horns. Dik-diks have a greyish-brown upper body and a yellowish-brown bottom body. Inside each eye socket is a specialised gland called the preorbital gland. The scent they emit from this gland serves as a territorial marker.

 

The dik-dik has developed a unique mechanism to regulate its internal temperature in harsh environments.

 

There are a total of Five species of dik-diks:

  • Günther’s dik-dik
  • Damara dik-dik (sub-species of Kirk’s)
  • Kirk’s dik-dik
  • Silver dik-dik
  • Salt’s dik-dik

 

Hunting Dik-Dik

 

Dik-diks are not hunted in South Africa. The following Dik-dik species may be hunted in:

  • Ethiopia: Günthers dik-dik, Salt’s dik-dik
  • Uganda: Günthers dik-dik
  • Tanzania: Kirk’s dik-dik
  • Namibia: Damaraland dik-dik. The Damara dik-dik is a subspecies of Kirk’s dik-dik

 

These little antelopes are often spotted by just walking and stalking in the likely habitat while keeping a watchful eye out. The dik-dik is most easily spotted and hunted at night or early morning.

 

In Namibia, female Damara dik-dik are bigger than males, so keep that in mind while making your prey selections. The males are distinguished by their long, slanted horns that measure around three inches in length. After being startled, a Damara dik-dik will take off in a series of stiff-legged bounds. They have shock-absorbing pads on the bottoms of their hooves.

 

Any small calibre centrefire firearm is suitable for hunting dik-dik. A high-quality bullet is essential. When shooting, you don’t want a bullet that explodes on impact and damages the skin.

 

What is Dik-Dik Taxidermy?

 

Choosing the best Dik-Dik taxidermy mount is determined by considerations like money, available wall space, and personal choice. Because each mount is given a unique form and arrangement, Life-Form Taxidermy appreciates considerable consultation with the customer to construct a whole mount.

 

The key to a successful taxidermy product is precise preparation. The finest chemicals and processes available anywhere are utilized to tan and oil the skins, ensuring their resilience and longevity for future generations. At Lifeform, we carefully choose and customize our forms to ensure a comfortable fit, and we’ll even make the form according to your desired posture, at no extra expense.

 

Full mount trophies include standard natural habitat bases. We only utilize the best quality materials (mainly natural), and our 40 years of business knowledge allows us to give your trophies new life. The finished awards have a realistic appearance. When restoration is required, all efforts are taken to repair cuts and abrasions while minimizing bullet damage. Unless otherwise directed, the animal’s natural scars will remain.

 

Skin preparation for a flawless Dik-Dik trophy

 

Hair loss and skin deterioration are the two main enemies of a trophy cape. Immediately after taking the animal, you should skin it and apply salt to the skin to prevent the hair from slipping. Skinning your trophy in the veld? Get it out of the sun as soon as possible. When the intestines are removed promptly, the carcass will begin cooling almost immediately.

 

Immediately after the gunshot wound, wash the area to prevent any further bleeding. Don’t ever drag the animal on the floor. Be careful to clearly mark your trophy. If you hang the carcass, the hair will stay off the ground and out of the blood.

 

If you want the skinners to be able to accommodate your requirements, you need to specify what kind of mount you want. Prepping for full mount is recommended if you can’t decide. Extra skin can be removed by a taxidermist, but new skin can’t be added. After the skin has been removed, any extra meat or fat should be cut away. Skin the animal and then wait 30 minutes before salting.

 

Soak the skin in salt for at least five hours, ideally overnight. Place the skin in a cool, shaded place in two cm of salt. Shake off the salt after 24 hours and hang the cape to dry. Pesticides should be used to prevent insects from eating the skin and storage area.

 

The Dik-Dik Taxidermy process and methods

 

Based on your instructions, Life-Form Taxidermy will recreate a trophy mount that is indistinguishable from the real thing. We spend a lot of time on the consultation stage since we want to fully grasp the client’s vision for the end result.

 

Using only the highest quality chemicals and techniques, the skins are tanned and oiled to ensure they will endure for years. Each skin is tried on a manikin to make sure it fits properly. After the proper placement of the eyes and ears has been verified, the skin is then sewn by a qualified professional. The taxidermist will wait until the trophy is totally dry before putting any finishing touches.

 

Taking care of your Dik-Dik Trophy

 

Avoid exposing your mount to wet environments like basements. Moisture accumulation on a mount invites the growth of mould and other undesirables.

 

Consistent, mild dusting keeps mounts in good condition. Start by using a feather duster to get rid of the dust, and then follow up by wiping off the area with a moist cloth while working in the direction of the hair growth. Don’t try to force the hair into an unnatural shape; instead, work with it. Trust in the Medix Africa product to help preserve your prized trophy. Life-Form Taxidermy uses and distributes this product.

 

Mounts should be protected from direct sunlight whenever feasible. The sun’s UV radiation cause an unwelcome and horrible fading effect on trophies.

 

Frequently asked questions

 

How much does a Dik-Dik trophy cost?

 

The pricing of any trophy is subject to the costing stipulated per taxidermy order, quantity of trophies and preferred mounting options, along with additional requirements. Should you wish to receive a quotation prior to the hunt, the taxidermist can generate such for you.

 

How long does a Dik-Dik trophy take?

 

The time it takes a taxidermist to mount an animal might range from days to weeks, and possibly several months, depending on the quantity of trophies per taxidermy order, the display preferences, and volumes of client trophies to be produced, simultaneously, per production schedule.

 

Generally the completion and packing timeframe combined, ranges from 8-12 months. This depends largely on the “what, how, when” factors. A taxidermy order also only becomes available for production scheduling upon receipt of the required deposit and trophy mounting instructions.

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