Need a taxidermy mold? Research Mannikins is likely to have it

River otters mingle with coyotes, zebras hang around with Roosevelt elk, and grizzly bears room with African cape buffalos.

"We've got everything from elephants to chipmunks," says Greg Hogan. "It's a big collection."

Hogan is the assistant general manager at Research Mannikins in Lebanon, which has spent more than two decades providing taxidermists with the forms they use to mount animals for hunters and museums.

"We are one of the largest in the world," said Hogan.

Inventory backs that up. A maze of storage rooms house fiberglass animal forms of just about any species on the planet. Up to 8,000 molds are stored in species groups that might not be so compatible in the wild.

Birds, reptiles, fish, and African and North American game animals are all included. Research Mannikins can fill orders for trophy heads or full, lifesize forms.

Various poses are created by sculptors from throughout the country. Hogan says it has a list of more than 30 who specialize in animal forms.

Two-piece molds are filled with a rapid expansion foam and clamped together while the foam sets. A deer head takes about a half an hour to set and a life size form up to two hours. For a more realistic look, jaws can be placed in the mold and the foam poured around them.

Hogan said a typical day can produce between 70 and 80 small animal heads, 25 larger heads and up to 20 full-size mannequins. Molds last up to 20 years.

Many of the more popular pours and preformed poses are created in advance, like the leaping bobcat he says is often posed with a bird in flight.

"We have different sizes for just about any species. When we get an order we'll match it as closely as we can," said Hogan.

Most sales are from the nearly 400-page catalog or through the Internet, but Hogan said there is a steady walk-in clientele as well. The preset forms, taxidermy tools and equipment, how-to books and a full line of tanning, mounting and finishing supplies are sold.

The inventory requires a lot of space. The 50,000-square-foot site 315 W. Sherman St. takes care of that -an improvement from the one-room former gas station on Highway 20 it originally inhabited about 22 years ago.

The site also includes Sugar Pine Wood Carving, which creates decoys, patterns for wildlife carvers, and wood backboards for mounted heads.

Research Mannikins owners Dave Rogers and Dennis Middleton are still actively involved in the business, according to Hogan. Tom Loomis is the general manager. Most of the company's 50 employees are hunters and fishermen.

Success has spawned additional companies in Illinois and North Carolina to serve other parts of the country. Products ship worldwide and business has remained consistent.

"Winter is our busy time, but we haven't experienced a big hit with the economy doing what it is. If a hunter shoots a trophy animal he's still going to want it mounted," said Hogan.

Research Mannikins can be reached at (541) 451-1538. Its website is www.rmi-online.com.