Zooveillance
Video surveillance was invented mostly to keep an ever-watchful eye over people’s activities. And while it seems to fulfill its functions well enough, people have been searching for more ways of its use. Wildlife is also an interesting filming material but installing an intricate camera out in the open, in such a way that it would last at least a week, is a tall order indeed. And yet, there are areas containing and preserving wildlife, where surveillance is quite possible or even required. And those are zoos.
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Animals kept in their enclosures need constant attention. The zookeepers may be plentiful but they can’t possibly keep an eye on every creature all the time. Or can they? This is where cameras come in handy. It can be somewhat challenging to find a suitable place for one in every enclosure, where the animals can’t reach it. But when it’s done, the camera can stay there for a long time.
Live feed is invaluable in many cases, such as observing a new animal that arrived recently to see if it feels alright in a new unfamiliar place. Another important issue is sick animals – they need to be watched 24/7 to make sure they survive. |
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You can find an example of proper zooveillance in Kaliningrad, Russia. The Kaliningrad Zoo is rather famous for being both one of the oldest (founded in 1896 under the name of Königsberger Tiergarten) and biggest zoological gardens in Russia. Its collection comprises 315 different species and it is still growing. The zoo’s territory is controlled with many cameras, be it aviaries, terrariums, aquariums, pens or cages. Some of these cameras even have public access. This allows to keep both the animals and the visitors safe. |
| Sometimes people would try to toss something that could be dangerous for the animal inside, so an object like that needs to be removed posthaste (it can be food unsuitable for that particular creature or something sharp). Other times, visitors would try getting inside the enclosure disregarding the warning signs. Needless to say, this also requires immediate action from the zookeepers. Some of the animals live in groups and, therefore, their relationships must be monitored as well. If a serious fight occurs, the zookeepers need to make sure that no one is injured. With all of these complicated tasks spread over the territory of 16.5 ha, the zookeepers could hardly do half their work without the help of cameras always pointing them in the right direction. |
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As you can clearly see, video surveillance has ways of helping people that are not immediately obvious. This proves that the only limit to this technology is your imagination and creativity.
15 September 2016
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