Dublin Zoo was keen to explore the use of cameras to help study the behavior, and ensure the welfare, of all their animals. Keepers were particularly keen to minimize human intervention in animal habitats.
Mission
Dublin Zoo was keen to explore the use of cameras to help study the behavior, and ensure the welfare, of all their animals. Keepers were particularly keen to minimize human intervention in animal habitats. Instead, they wanted to be able to monitor key events, including new animal introductions and births, via desktop viewing stations close by, only intervening if an animal’s health or welfare was at risk.
Solution
More than 140
Axis cameras have now been deployed by Axis partner Kelcom, covering more than 80% of animal habitat areas and the entire perimeter. Four AXIS M1144-L HDTV Network Cameras with built-in IR illumination are deployed in the female elephant house, principally to capture elephant births and sleep patterns. AXIS P5522 PTZ Network Cameras with 18x optical zoom, supported by AXIS T8353A Microphones, provide audio and video which proved of high enough quality to be used on the national television show ‘The Zoo’, which airs on national Irish television and the Animal Planet channel.
Archived video recordings are viewed on a backup server running AXIS Camera Station. Live video, and the last three weeks of recorded video, is viewed via Milestone XProtectR Corporate video management software on a total of 17 PC viewing stations. The zoo’s operations manager and 12 senior keepers are able to view relevant cameras on their smart phone or tablet 24 hours a day.
Result
Before the introduction of cameras in animal houses the zoo relied very heavily on the opinions of individual keepers for knowledge of specific animals’ behavior. However, through studying video recordings taken from Axis cameras over long periods of time, keepers are now able to acquire a much fuller understanding of animal behavior.
Product Adopted:Codecs,
Surveillance Cameras