Undercover inthejungle
SPY IN THE WILD
BBC1, 9pm HARD to say if the robot spy creatures in this series are incredibly impressive or just very creepy – perhaps both.
But it certainly is a hi-tech way of finding out more about wildlife.
The innovative series, back for a second run, deploys more than 50 ultra-realistic animatronic spy animals to go undercover in regions around the world. The hyper-real robots not only look like the animals they are filming but they behave like them too in order to be accepted by the families.
Once integrated – usually after some amusing staring, tapping, poking and prodding – these lookalikes give us an insider’s view as they gather, feed, fight and breed.
At first there’s quite a lot of footage of animals peering straight into the lens of the camera, probably wondering why their fellow gorilla or tiger’s eyes are glowing red.
But they are usually fooled in the end.
In the first encounters, Spy Gorilla tries to win approval of the great silverback. Watch out for the rather noisy after effects of the wild gorillas’ vegetarian diet.
Elsewhere, Spy Jaguar Cub explores a beautiful gathering of water birds, capybara and caiman, before spotting a rare romantic moment between two adult jaguars.
Spy Turtle and Spy Vulture capture the spectacular turtle arribada as thousands jostle for a place on the beach to lay their eggs.
And Spy Penguin and Spy Seal join Humboldt penguins as they bravely navigate thousands of angry sea lions as they try to return to their hungry chicks.