ETHICS
We are proud to provide a thoughtful selection of ethically sourced products. All of the skeletal items that we sell have either died naturally and have been provided to us from animal sanctuaries, zoos or hunters that do not have a use for the bones. If the specimen comes to us whole we clean the flesh from bones ourselves. We use about 20,000 dermestid beetles to remove the flesh. Then the bones go through a thorough cleaning process to ensure that they are displayed at the best quality possible.
All of our insects have died of natural causes or have been raised on insect and butterfly farms. This helps to preserve the valuable rainforest habitat by providing villagers an ethical source of income other than clearing tropical rainforest. We are licensed by the US Fish & Wildlife Administration and we comply with all import and export procedures. The insects and butterflies that we use are raised on these farms and have lived their entire life.
We work with farms in Australia, Asia, North, Central and South American rainforest areas which breed for insect collectors around the world. Farming these insects to sell is sometimes the only incentive some indigenous people have to save the environment they live in. Our Insects live their full life on these farms, reproduce and lay eggs. In the wild, the survival rate of eggs that hatch and make it to adulthood are very small. These captive breeding programs on insect and butterfly farms have a 70%-90% survival rates. The farms also release a large portion of all the generation back into the wild helping to preserve the insects in their natural habitat.
We love the wonder of the world that surrounds us. And our hope to inspire our customers with the things we love, educate on the things that matter and conserve where possible.