The Ocelot carrying a Heron was listed in Barye's first catalogue, prior to 1855 and in his last as number 80, cast by Barbedienne. The model is a vivid portrayal of a wild cat with its prey, captured in a realistic pose and with characteristic attention to the different textures of fur and feather. The ocelot is skillfully shown in all its powerful musculature, and the heron lies awkwardly limp in dramatic contrast, together revealing Barye's mastery of the 'animalier' genre.