Wild animals captured in stunning studio photographs

They say people should never work with animals - but one look at this cuddly, sleepy panda and it's easy to see why a team of wildlife photographers ignored the advice.

The baby panda is among hundreds of the world's rarest and most stunning animals which have been captured in studio images in an astonishing look at wildlife.

Photographer Eric Isselee and his team are behind the ambitious project, and take their portable studio to the animal kingdom.

The patient photography team travel throughout the entire world looking for animals, both domestic and wild, and insist on photographing them in their own environment.

The animals, including adorable Menari the baby orangutan, are often born into breeding programmes from zoos and conservation centres across the globe.

But despite not being born in the wild, Isselee wants the pictures of captive animals to highlight the plight of their endangered cousins.

From huge hippos and rhinos to dainty ducklings and even beetles, the subjects come in all shapes and sizes.