You never know what is coming your way when you are a claimsadjuster. In this particular case, the species of claim turned outto be highly unusual and potentially extremely valuable as a rareand exotic object.

Contents claims experts were put on the case for a valuation ofa “Silverback Full Body-Sized Gorilla Mount, 7 feet in height” thathad been stolen. When dealing with requests involving exoticanimals, one of the first steps taken by contents experts is todetermine the implications of laws governing “endangered species.”Such laws not only restrict the “taking” of these animals, but alsoestablish strict restrictions and conditions upon the sale of orany product involving these animals.

Case Background

The family of Gorillas falls into one of two specific species:the Eastern or “Mountain Gorilla,” and the Western Lowland Gorilla.The Lowland Gorilla is an endangered species, while its cousin, theMountain Gorilla is extremely endangered. To be legal to sell, themount would have to have documented importation prior to a specificdate, making authentic salable gorilla mounts very rare and thusvery valuable.

To have a highly defensible opinion, the contents claims teamhad to determine exactly which species was involved, as well as thedate and circumstances of importation. Contact with the owner foundthe mount had been passed down to him from his grandparents;however, “when” and “by whom” the animal was taken was unknown.

The contents team requested a photograph of the gorilla mount,which the owner sent to aid in the verification process. The bodybuild of the two types of gorillas differ, and experts would beable to certainly solve the species puzzle with the image. However,the team still lacked documentation as to the legal status andsalability of the mount which would be needed to proceed with thevaluation.

Click “next” to the bottom right to find out how theteam proceeded.

In reviewing the image, contents experts determined that thefeatures of the mount were not consistent with those of an actualgorilla and actually looked like a costume gorilla suit mounted ona form. If the gorilla was real, the body would have been broaderand thicker, and its head would be more oval-shaped with aprominent sagittal bony crest on the forehead.

TheResult

In the end, the contents claims team concluded that it was not areal animal at all. In fact, it was nothing more than a prop.Life-sized gorilla props retail for about $6,900. If this had beenan authentic, legal salable gorilla mount, dependent on species andcondition, it could have had a value of $25,000 to $45,000 ormore.