Glasgow: Saraband, 2012. Octavo, colour photographs, laminated boards.

The Giant panda is unique and not just uniquely charming: it has no close relatives in the animal world. The iconic, instantly recognisable creature has symbolised wildlife conservation since it was adopted as a mascot. Yet despite having avoided extinction, a fate to which the species came perilously close, the population today is estimated at no more than 2000. This spectacular volume brings together the expertise of leading conservationists with an extraordinary collection of photographs from both the world-renowned Wolong research centre and the wilderness of Sichuan's magnificent Qionglai mountain range, the panda's natural habitat.