As is often the case with the acclaimed series, they got their shot.Īhead of Planet Earth II’s American premiere this Saturday night on BBC America - which debuts with the standout “Islands” episode - Vulture spoke with Liz White, the producer behind the episode and the iguana versus snakes clip. A camera crew worked from dusk to dawn for weeks filming the exact spot, hoping something would happen, and if it did, that the camera would be in focus. Like many of the best Planet Earth clips, this incredible footage is the result of the kind of extreme luck that only comes with hard work. The music swells and … the iguana is off! This is just the start of what might be the most exhilarating nature clip ever filmed: The iguana freezes as the snake slithers right behind it. It also won overwhelming praise among Chinese viewers, with the rating on Douban, China's version of IMDb, reaching 9.9 points out of 10.Īn iguana reaches the top of a rock and escapes the clutches of the racer snakes.We begin with a close-up of a marine iguana hatchling, followed by a close-up of the nearly blind snake that’s trying to eat it. Narrated by Sir David Attenborough, Planet Earth II has been the most-watched natural history show for at least 15 years. Frozen Planet showed footage of newborn polar bear cubs in a den with their mother in 2011 - but it was filmed in an animal park, rather than in the wild. This is not first time that the British broadcaster's nature documentaries have been accused of faking footage. 'As is common in natural history filmmaking, pick up shots were filmed separately – for example close ups of iguana eyes – to make the story of the sequence as clear as possible for the audience,' she added. 'What was captured in the field was extraordinary animal behavior which had never been witnessed or filmed before.' 'The final iguana chase in which one iguana escapes the snakes was - unusually for natural history filming - shot using two cameras, allowing us to follow both the individual iguana and the snakes' point of view.' A spokeswoman for BBC said.

Gif footage from CCTVīBC refuted White's claim and denied that the iguana chase scene was faked. 'Unfortunately lizards, snakes and iguanas aren't good at 'takes'.'Ī clip of Planet Earth II showing a baby iguana managing to escape the clutches of the racer snakes.

The producer told the Media Production Show: 'It wasn't the same iguana, no, and often we have to augment it with other clips. However, Elizabeth White, producer of the nail-biting scene, said the incredible moment was the work of two cameras and more than one iguana was actually filmed. It was also rated by Bafta as a must-see moment in 2016. A clip of Planet Earth II showing a baby iguana managing to escape the clutches of the racer snakes. Gif footage from CCTVīBC's award-winning documentary Planet Earth II is caught in a 'fakery row' after its producer revealed that the scene showing a baby iguana being chased by racer snakes was stitched together using different takes.ĭuring the episode filmed on the beach in Galapagos, South America, a baby iguana is shown besieged by a pack of snakes, but manages to escape their clutches.Īs one of the most popular episodes in the documentary, the iguana clip quickly went viral when it was aired last year.

Bbc iguana snake escape