An Incredibly Realistic Animatronic Egret Spies on Unsuspecting Elephants From Inside the Herd

The producers of the wonderful BBC Earth and PBS animatronic wild animal series Spy in the Wild went on location using an animatronic egret from John Nolan’s studio. The mission was to carefully place the fragile bird so that it would be able to capture footage inside an unsuspecting herd of elephants making their way across the plains.

The plan is for him to film at the same height as a baby elephant. Right inside the herd. With the crew controlling him from a distance, he now has to face the elephants on his own. It’s a nerve-wracking moment, as he disappears inside a wall of legs. Thanks to some very obliging elephants, Egret Cam survives unscathed.

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.