OREM — Somewhere, someone has a crocodile skull stashed away, and Ken Kirkham wants it back.
He's also clamoring for his two leopard coats, five ring-tailed cat pelts, seven tanned rattlesnake skins and a replica crocodile head.
Oh, and a huge antler rack from a mule deer that would have brought in more than $600.
"They took most of the stuff people owed me money on," said Kirkham, who owns Ken's Rocky Mountain Taxidermy at 107 E. 100 North in Orem and was recently robbed of nearly $40,000 worth of exotic animal skins. "I haven't been paid in two weeks and (payments of) $10,000 would have set me up for four months. That security is gone," he said.
Sometime early Aug. 12 robbers used a crowbar to break into Kirkham's shop, which sits less than 200 yards from the Orem police station.
The robbers stole thousands of dollars in exotic animal hides, including bobcat and ermine pelts and two valuable leopard skins worth thousands of dollars.
Police only released information Wednesday about the theft, hoping the delay would give suspects time to boast about the crime.
"These types of items are not something you see every day," said Detective Dennis Nelson with Orem police. "They're basically made to be displayed, shown and shown off. If anyone sees anything like this for sale ... or sees buddies with a leopard skin, we'd really appreciate a call."
Anyone with information is asked to contact Orem police at 229-7070.
Kirkham hasn't had a break-in for the 39 years he's been operating in Orem.
A normal day finds him mounting prize trophy heads, or creating animals for museums or home displays. He'll take skins, fit them over mannequin bodies, do the muscle, eye and teeth work and any paint details.
The crocodile head was ready to be attached to a body. The ermine pelts could have become stoles.
"The leopards were supposed to belong in a museum," Kirkham said, bemoaning the fate of the stolen felines.
Not everything was taken, though — just the most valuable items.
Orem police is spearheading the investigation, but the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is participating as well, because they're familiar with where the furs, hides, pelts and heads might pop up.
"They're pretty special items," said Shawn Bagley, conservation officer with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. "They're not just the run-of-the-mill type items taken from anyplace. People who take them are going to know the value of them."
Kirkham said very few people knew he had two recently tanned leopard skins in the store's freezer, valued at more than $5,000 each.
"They took a crowbar and pried the door lock off," Kirkham said of his previously sturdy commercial-grade wooden doors. "You can see where they took a swing."
The robbers also jimmied his security alarm.
"They just knew everything about my shop," Kirkham said.
Because of that, Kirkham said he thinks the robbers might be former employees. Not that he has any employees now. He can't afford them. He just spent $600 for new metal doors.
It's a huge financial blow for Kirkham because he doesn't have insurance. No one wants to insure a hyena and a pair of zebras, he said, although his building and tools can be insured.
He's offering a $500 reward for anyone with information that leads to the arrests and prosecution of those involved.
"I wish I could offer a couple of thousand (dollars)," Kirkham said. "I just don't know how I could get that kind of a reward up. I spent all my spare money on the doors."
E-mail: sisraelsen@desnews.com