I’ve been hooked on Spy in the Wild and the crazy creature doppelgangers that have elicited extraordinary behavioural changes – well, very different to what we’re used to seeing – from the animals on camera. We’ve seen how a troop of monkeys mourn and comfort each other after the apparent death of an infant (actually the facsimile camera ape, which fell from a height.) and how orangutan and other species use tools.
This week we see the importance of cooperation and support that animals rely on to survive. Whether it be to find food or look out for predators, babysit or even just a bit of grooming, the Spy Creatures act as a guide through a world where one with friends will always come out on top.
The meerkat section of the film is really good fun and illustrates the social nature of the mob. The spycam creature looks ridiculous (Aleksandr and Sergei from the Compare the Meerkat commercials would have looked more authentic) but it doesn’t phase the little critters, who leave it on babysitting duty while they go hunting.
Spy in the Wild – Thursday 9.00pm on BBC One
