An exhibition entitled The Disappearing World opened to the public at the Beijing Museum of Natural History on March 8.

London-based photographer Tim Flach is known for his exceptional and unconventional shots that capture the beauty and personality of wild animals. The exposition presents wildlife as seen through Flach's artful lens in 48 photographs, reminding visitors of the importance of biodiversity and environmental protection.

Flach's photography brings to life the complexity of the animal kingdom and is purposefully framed to resemble portraits of humans, zooming in on the animals' facial expressions. The artist holds an interest in the way humans shape animals and shape their meaning, while exploring the role of imagery in fostering an emotional connection. Visitors can come face to face with a host of China's endangered and extinct faunae, including giant pandas, red pandas, snow leopards, red-crowned cranes, golden snub-nosed monkeys from Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, and many more.

Another exhibit highlight is the wide variety of realistic endangered animal replicas, presenting species on the brink of disappearing due to climate change and poaching. In sum: Don't shoot animals with guns, shoot them with cameras.

(Text and photos by Wei Yao)

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon

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