BBC hid cameras inside 36 robot animals to give viewers a close-up view of wildlife for their “Spy in the Wild” TV special. The animals included a baby gorilla, sea turtle, jaguar, humming bird and pygmy elephant. Each one was equipped with a concealed camera to film animals in their natural habitats. Read more to see an alpha silverback gorilla accepting a robotic baby spy into his family.
The BBC crew didn’t just find a stuffed animal to put these cameras in, as they spent hundreds of thousands on detailed robotic spy creatures, to ensure that they looked, sounded and moved so realistically they would blend right into their real wildlife habitats.
There’s this strange thing where the animals understand that the spy creature is like them, but know it’s a little bit different. There’s no aggression,” said executive producer John Downer.