The name of the taxidermist is Geo P. Kapok. Kapok trees produce large fruits whose fiber was spun and used in the past as stuffing for toys, mattresses and life jackets. Synthetics have largely replaced this nowadays.
The stuffed panther is said to have been shot in Uganda, Africa. Although panthers are more usually found in tropical forests in Asia and South America, there have been a few rare sightings of the creatures in Ethiopia and Kenya.