Chennai: CCTV cameras at zoo, but not everyone is happy

CHENNAI: Vandalur zoo authorities have installed CCTV cameras in a dozen animal houses, but not everyone is happy.
Spotting the gleaming camera in its house, a sloth bear climbed up to the contraption and spat on it, spoiling the gadget. A white tiger took a cable apart, leaving the camera useless. But zoo deputy director Sudha Ramen isn’t disappointed, as a majority of other animals have taken it without a whimper of protest.

She said cameras were set up in nearly in a dozen animal houses, which include lions, tigers, leopards, sloth bears, Himalayan black bears, chimpanzees, wild dogs, jackals, hyenas, jackals and wolves. “It helps us monitoring the health of the animals. They get timely help,” she said.

Usually animal keepers who get into the enclosures in the morning to clean the place report if an animal is sick. They sometimes don’t see anything amiss if the animal is resting. With the veterinarians and senior officers having access to live feeds from animal houses, ill-health of animals can be picked up from early symptoms. For example, a tiger pair usually sleep in a particular position every day. Changes in behaviour can indicate illness, the deputy director said.

The camera becomes more useful when an animal is about to litter. “That’s when veterinarians need to keep a close watch on them. We can provide immediate treatment in case of deterioration in their health. Veterinarians can also do research on animal behaviour including their feeding patterns,” she said. Footage of these cameras are accessible only to zoo managers.

For the public, the zoo has set up 17 cameras in animal enclosures, providing live-streaming on the zoo website. Such cameras are installed in the enclosures of lions, tigers, hornbills, Indian gaurs, hippopotamuses and crocodiles. A special team occupies the control room during the day, and veterinarians monitor the animals during the night hours.