The animals shot in Kenya were restored to a semblance of life thanks to the skilful and meticulous efforts of the taxidermist Georg Ruprecht and his assistants. The then revolutionary technique of glueing skins onto anatomically accurate models opened up new horizons. From 1923, the animals’ skins and horns were used to create remarkably lifelike reproductions.

Like many leading taxidermists of his day, Ruprecht saw himself as an artist and a craftsman: it was important not only to create a scene, but also that the representation should be as “natural” as possible. This was an ambitious goal for a workshop with no first-hand knowledge of “Africa”: the team had to rely on illustrations and imagination.