This is a collection of work by photographer Britta Jaschinski depicting the condition of animals in zoos and the issues their captivity provokes. The photographs are dark, capturing a fragmentary glance of the animal, whether a paw gripping an iron bar or a dolphin below the surface of a pool.

Britta Jaschinski's exquisite photographs owe their inspiration to portraiture rather than documentation, creating an atmosphere rather than making a statement. The animals in these photographs have a shadowy, almost enigmatic presence that excites our curiosity and draws us in. Our glimpses of them tend to be partial, fragmentary -- from a furry hand gripping an iron bar to dolphins floating just below the surface of a pool. Polar bears stare from a rocky stage, a zebra stands stock still and quiet. All of them have a melancholy dignity, commanding a sense of respect in the viewer which is tinged with unease. Jaschinski's involvement and empathy is evident throughout, but she never allows it to intrude; instead she has given us an arresting series of pictures and created a hauntingly beautiful book.