Hidden cameras reveal the funnier side of animal behaviour

Cameras are getting smaller, lighter, more powerful, and can be secured in all sorts of places. In the Nature of Things documentary Spying on Animals, camera traps, drones and wearable cameras put viewers directly into the world of animals, recording new and insightful images. But sometimes, those same cameras also capture some purely funny moments.

We’ve gathered a few of our favourites from the web.

San Francisco’s Bay Area Puma Project used trail cameras to capture video of the area’s puma population. The project’s blooper reel not only offers some humorous puma moments, but other animals were also inadvertently caught on film.

Residents of the city of Toronto, known as the raccoon capital of the world, have waged a battle against “trash pandas” for decades. These thieves are known for their uncanny ability to break into “raccoon-proof” garbage bins. This video from the City of Toronto shows just how determined they are in finding a free meal.

BBC’s Penguins - Spy in the Huddle disguised 50 cameras as rocks and snowballs to capture video of emperor penguins. Here’s how they reacted to a robot snowball in their midst.

CBC’s The Wild Canadian Year crew placed motion-sensor cameras in Banff National Park to capture intimate footage of grizzly bears in the spring. After months of hibernation, they have a very large itch to scratch and use the park’s trees for some relief.

Reporters from China Central Television attempted to use a drone to film tigers at China’s Siberian Tiger Park. It didn’t take long before these curious cats noticed — and the chase was on. They succeed in catching their “prey”, but look a bit confused when it started to smoke.

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Watch Spying on Animals on The Nature of Things.