There’s an incredible piece over at the Daily Mail on how filmmaker John Downer was making an animal documentary in Madhya Pradesh in India, and decided to recruit elephants to help out.

“Downer said he came up with the idea three years ago when his team started filming the tigers. He noticed how gently the forest elephants carried firewood to their camp and wondered if they’d be as delicate with a camera. “And they were,” he enthused. “Elephants do not see tigers as a threat, and tigers are comfortable with elephants. So we had the perfect team.”

Downer also placed cameras on the forest floor to amazing effect; just take a look at how the langur monkey stares into the cam below. In any case, the documentary looks like it’ll be pretty amazing. For lots more pics and the full scoop on Downer, click here. Story via the ever-amazing Cellar.