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Listing Photos of Dallas Mansion With ‘Wall of Death’ Create a Stir Again

A gated mansion in Dallas filled with the stuffed carcasses of animals killed on hunting safaris is on the market for $5.9 million. The taxidermied animals are not included with the sale.

In 2015, a National Geographic photo of the homeowners, businessman Kerry Krottinger and his wife, Libby Krottinger, posing in their Dallas home created a stir.

The image of the couple among their animal trophies quickly went viral. The creatures covering the walls from floor to ceiling led some outlets to dub the montage the “wall of death.”

Texas oilman and hunter Kerry Krottinger is a really tough guy https://t.co/BmrqipPHVg pic.twitter.com/RHzs7cWwZd

— Oliver Milman (@olliemilman) February 8, 2016

Animal rights activists recoiled at the duo sitting among dead rhinos, cheetahs, giraffes, and zebras. While the animals were taken in legal hunts, the image still raised concerns about killing African wildlife for sport. 

A British-based organization called LionAid posted the photo on Facebook. “This is just one Texas trophy hunter with a ‘love’ of Africa,” LionAid wrote. “Is it any wonder that Africa’s wildlife is disappearing?”

Four years later, with the Krottingers’ home on the market, photos show room after room still decorated with stuffed animal heads and bodies.

While no photo of the trophy room visible in the National Geographic spread is evident in the current listing photos, there’s still plenty to find hanging around the house. Dead heads gaze from the walls in the living room. A cheetah stands guard in the office. No less than a lion and gazelles pose in the screening room.

And the listing photos are eliciting much the same reaction as the still-life image from years ago.

“This house is stuffed so full of corpses that it should properly be listed as a funeral home,” says People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals President Ingrid Newkirk.

Built in 1993, the 12,000-square-foot mansion in the city’s Preston Hollow comes with five beds and 5.5 baths. The estate was fully renovated and expanded in 2007. The entry opens to a floating staircase and custom chandeliers. Details include limestone floors, cypress-paneled ceilings, and hand-distressed wood beams. 

The grand salon features a two-story fireplace, and the master bedroom comes with a fireplace as well. The chef’s kitchen offers custom cabinets and top-of-the-line appliances.

Luxury amenities include a gym, study, bar, home theater, and wine grotto.

Upstairs you’ll find a second master suite, three bedrooms, a game room, and a bonus room. Outside, the property boasts a covered patio and a pool.

However, will the taxidermy still visible be a turnoff? PETA’s president thinks so.

The photos “will repulse the majority of viewers who cherish animals and see that trophy hunters lack empathy, understanding, and any respect for wildlife,” says Newkirk.

In a 2018 video for NRA TV, Libby Krottinger discusses her love of hunting while offering glimpses of the couple’s mansion.

“How am I an animal lover, but I can hunt? I hunt because I do love animals. I hunt because it’s the most ethical thing to do for conservation,” says Krottinger.

This isn’t the first home to draw attention for its exotic decor. A hunting lodge in Minnesota with a trophy room lined with stuffed animal heads was the most popular listing of the week on realtor.com® in February.

The Minnesota property is still on the market—albeit with a reduced price. In truth, it’s a little hard to pay attention to the property with all of the animals staring at you.

Kelly Marcontell with Ebby Halliday holds the listing for the Dallas mansion.

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