A robot butterfly demonstrated what the future of wildlife could look like.

Footage shows a woman assembling the wings of the automaton, perched atop a small artificial flower arrangement in Chongqing, China, on July 20.

The wings featured elegant blue and black hues, mimicking the movement of a lifelike butterfly.

The mesmerising display also lit up from underneath while the animatron fluttered its wings.

Zoos and amusement parks have begun incorporating robotic animals into their exhibits, including the controversial animatronic whale shark at Xiaomeisha Ocean World in Shenzhen, which received a low rating of just 2.9 out of 5 stars on a popular review platform.

Human and animal robots are being developed in several countries, but China and the United States are leading the 'tech arms race'.

A military-style robot dog was even seen protecting President-Elect Donald Trump in Florida earlier this month.
While in Texas, Elon Musk's Tesla hopes to have its version of a human-robot called Optimus available for sale in 2026.

Musk - who had a prominent role in the recent US election victory of Donald Trump - recently presented Optimus, describing it as a multi-functional assistant that could handle household chores, play with children, and assist with various repetitive tasks.