African wildlife

Up close and VERY personal: Incredible pictures of African wildlife taken with hidden cameras and camouflage Beautiful images from Africa by photographer Anup Shah give breathtaking perspectives of animal kingdom By Daily Mail Reporter PUBLISHED: 11:40 GMT, 22 December 2012 | UPDATED: 03:55 GMT, 23 December 2012 From a stunning close-up of a snarling leopard to an elephant family dusting themselves down in the searing heat, this series of beautiful photographs shows African wildlife at its most awe-inspiring. Photographer Anup Shah produced the images using remote camera, which enabled him to share an unrivalled perspective of the continent's animal kingdom. In his project, the Serengeti Spy, Mr Shah used hidden cameras, camouflaging them to look like part of the landscape. Stunning: A group of African elephants dust themselves down in the searing heat of the African wilderness Close-up: A snarling female leopard shows what she thinks of photographer Anup Shah's camera What's this? A curious monkey seems to spot the hidden camera and stares inquisitively into the lens as his friends go about their business of playing on a fallen tree Doe-eyed: A spotted hyena looks intently into the lens and is so close every single one of its whiskers is visible He placed them in various locations across the African savannah in the Serengeti and Massai Mara, and operated them from a distance while sitting in a vehicle, a technique that encouraged a fair amount of curiosity from his subjects. Many of the animals seem to be staring directly into the camera or even interacting with it, such as a spotted hyena (above) and, unsurprisingly, some young baboons (further down). Mr Shah's wide angle and low level perspectives show the animals in a fascinating light, such as the huge size of an elephant's trunk and a breathtaking picture of flamingos taking off in the Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya . Raw power: A herd of eastern white-bearded wildebeest herd hurtle through the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. Little and large: A herd of zebra head away from the Mara River in Kenya. A baby tries to keep up with its mother Wondrous: This elephant's long trunk is put into perspective with this wide angle shot in the Massai Mara National Reserve in Kenya Up, up and away: A flock of flamingos takes off from Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya, with the photographer using a low level perspective to get the impressive shot The power of a herds of wildebeest and zebras running at full pelt is captured in all its glory. The brutal side of nature is also laid bare in the shots, with an almost apocalyptic shot of a lone flamingo chick tottering on the scorched-looking mud flats of Tanzania and a portrait of vultures gorging on the carcass of a zebra. The photographs have been published in a 204-page photo book titled Serengeti Spy: Views from a Hidden Camera on the Plains of East Africa. Apocalyptic: A lesser flamingo chick wades through mudflats at Lake Natron in Tanzania, with Ol Doniyo Lengai in the background Feast: White-backed vultures surround a carcass of a zebra in the Maasai Mara National Reserve