The Emperor Rudolf II, for whom Savery worked in Prague, had a zoo and also built up a collection of exceptional stones, shells, mounted insects and other exotic rarities. Savery was invited to Prague as a landscape painter, because he leant towards the tradition of Pieter Brueghel The Elder. This outstanding painting by him depicts various wild animals. The four-legged strong among them, such as lions and leopards, eat the weaker ducks and deer.