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Taxidermy at the Qalqilya Zoo
Photograph by Robert Clark

West Bank Diary: Robert Clark’s Visual Notes From the Field

ByCoburn Dukehart
November 15, 2013
6 min read

“I’ve constantly been a mobile phone user. It’s like taking notes on my life. I don’t write a diary, but this is the way I communicate.”  Robert Clark

Robert Clark is known for pushing his own boundaries. Normally known for lighting and shooting photos in controlled situations, for his most recent assignment we sent him to the West Bank for an upcoming story on taxidermy.

He returned last week and shared this iPhone diary with Proof.

Left: Israeli rockets, gas canisters, and other military objects are displayed in the Qalqilya Zoo’s museum. Officials claim the items contributed to the death of a giraffe, when it got scared and hit its head. Right: A zebra on display at the zoo.
Qalqilya Zoo has Israel rockets, gas canisters & other military objects on display in the museum. The officials claim that the items played a part in the death of one of the giraffe's at the Zoo. The giraffe has been taxidermied to help educate the community about exotic animals. Taxidermy at the Qalqilya Zoo.

While in the West Bank, Clark traveled to the Qalqilya Zoo to meet Dr. Sami Khader, the resident director and veterinarian. Khader taught himself the art of taxidermy in order to preserve beloved animals that had suffered untimely deaths as a byproduct of war. Some animals died of starvation, others inhaled tear gas, and a doomed giraffe hit its head after being frightened by Israeli shelling.

“He had about 40 to 50 animals,” says Clark.  “Zebras, deer, Syrian bears, tigers, a cougar.”

A giraffe which was reportably spooked by an Israeli rocket attack and passed away.
This giraffe reportedly died after being spooked by an Israeli rocket attack.

Zoo animals in Palestine are not easy to come by, and not easy to replace. So when the animals died, Dr. Khader preserved them as best he could using techniques he learned on the Internet.

“This was taxidermy in its most unvarnished way. I think it’s really noble. It’s really understandable why he would do this—because he wants to educate the Palestinians—because they don’t have the chance to travel and see these things,” says Clark.

Mural art, Qalqilya West Bank;  My hotel room, Qalqilya, West Bank
Mural art, Qalqilya, West Bank; My hotel room, Qalqilya, West Bank
Photograph by Robert Clark

Clark’s iPhone images include photos of graffiti art of the Dome of the Rock (which Palestinians have difficulty seeing due to travel restrictions), women driving bumper cars at the Qalqilya amusement park, and a food snapshot of the best hummus he says he’s ever had.

Hotel lobby
Hotel lobby
Photography by Robert Clark
Women driving
Women driving
Photograph by Robert Clark
Dinner
Dinner
Photograph by Robert Clark

As for the trip itself, Clark says: “It was amazing; this was special. [My translator] took me home. I had dinner with his family. People were lovely. Everybody wanted to practice their English. Life is pretty difficult there, and it was special just to see people’s attitudes and how they survive.”

Graffiti of the Dome of the Rock
Graffiti of the Dome of the Rock
Photograph by Robert Clark

Robert Clark has done more than 30 assignments for National Geographic magazine. To see more of his work, visit his website here.

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