Inside the BBC's 'Spy in the Wild': Incredible behind-the-scenes footage reveals how the ultra-realistic robots were made
- Spy in the Wild deployed over 30 ultra-realistic robotic spies across the globe
- The animatronic creatures captured unique animal behaviour
- The lookalikes had to feel and move just like real animals to fit in
- Final episode will aire on BBC One at 7:30pm GMT tonight, and will reveal how the animal spies were designed, made and deployed
The BBC's innovative 'Spy in the Wild' series ends tonight with a special episode on how the show's realistic animal cameras were made.
Spy in the Wild deployed over 30 ultra-realistic animatronic Spy Creatures across 31 locations over three years of filming.
Over the course of the series the undercover cameras got up close and personal with some unique animal behaviours.
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The BBC's innovative 'Spy in the Wild' series ends tonight with a special episode on how they made the show's realistic animal cameras. Spy in the Wild deployed over 30 ultra-realistic animatronic Spy Creatures to go undercover in the animal world
The lives of a handful of animals were revealed in fascinating detail with many showing remarkably human-like behaviour.
The robotic lookalikes had to make realistic movements and noises to fit in and interact with the animals around them.
The innovative techniques involved in crafting the robot spies are documented in the fifth and final episode of the series, which airs in the UK tonight.
Viewers will see the creation of the spy creatures and witness their first moves before their deployment around the world.
One robot featured in the programme, known as 'Spy pup', was accepted by wild dogs on the African Savannah.
The team that built the robot, based in a small animatronics studio in London, designed him to take a respectful bow to his peers — a way of saying: 'I pose no threat.'
The lives of a handful of animals were revealed in fascinating detail, revealing remarkably human-like behaviour. One robot, known as 'Spy pup' (pictured), was accepted by wild dogs on the African Savannah
'Beneath the robot's skin is a miracle of animatronic engineering,' the programme explains.
'The moves of the different creatures' real-life counterparts are programmed and tested.
'Each one takes months to design and build.'
During the BBC's recording of the series, Spy Pup observed the incredible moment a rival lioness moved in on the pack's den to savage the group's 12 puppies.
The team, based in a small animatronics studio in London, designed Spy Pup to take a respectful bow to his peers — a way of saying: 'I pose no threat'
The creepy robotic skeleton of one of the programme's animatronic meerkats (pictured) is also revealed in tonight's episode
The footage shows the mother dog jumping wildly to distract the big cat, eventually succeeding in drawing her away from going in for the kill.
The creepy robotic skeleton of one of the programme's animatronic meerkats is also revealed in tonight's episode.
Stripped of all of its fur, the meerkat looks more like a tiny Terminator than a cuddly African mammal.
John Nolan, who designed the robot, has worked on many top Hollywood films.
When the wild meerkat colony that the robot infiltrated woke up to find a new arrival sharing their African termite mound, they surrounded him to investigate.
To make him smell, as well as look the part, the interloper's fur had been smeared with meerkat droppings.
Stripped of all of its fur, the series' robotic meerkat looks more like a tiny Terminator than a cuddly African mammal
To make him smell, as well as look the part, the interloping meerkat's fur had to be smeared with meerkat droppings
Series producer John Downer said: 'The others found him intriguing and tended to congregate beside him.'
From his unique vantage point, the newcomer was able to witness the high standards of loyalty that meerkats expect from one other.
'When a female mates with a male from another pack, she is excluded from the territory by the others to teach her a lesson, though they eventually let her back in.'
In tonight's behind the scenes programme viewers see the extraordinary effort that goes into getting the Spy Creatures to become part of so many different animal families.
When the wild meerkat colony that the robot infiltrated woke up to find a new arrival sharing their African termite mound, they surrounded him to investigate
The robotic meerkat (left) filmed how different members of the colony viewed loyalty among the pack
It shows how the concept of the Spy Creatures evolved from the more simple 'Bouldercams' made to look like fake rocks to the complex animal robots used throughout the series.
Viewers then join the robots as they are first deployed and operated in the field.
The episode airs in the UK on BBC1 tonight at 7:30pm.
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