Delhi zoo gets 465 new ‘high-end’ CCTV cameras to monitor animal’s welfare
So far the zoo had a few surveillance cameras installed only at critical points that did not cover the entire premises
The Delhi zoo has got 465 new high-end surveillance cameras covering its entire premises, officials said on Tuesday, adding that the CCTVs will help observe animals’ behaviour, besides monitoring their well-being.
“These are high-definition cameras that have a 20X zoom and can rotate 360 degrees. A full-fledged control room has been set up within the premises for round-the-clock monitoring,” a statement by the zoo authorities said.
So far the zoo had a few surveillance cameras installed only at critical points that did not cover the entire premises.
“The cameras will now cover all the cages, pathways, visitors areas and even the wooded area, which will help ensure security and better monitoring of the health of the animals”, said a senior official, who asked not to be named.
“Round the clock monitoring of animal’s health is crucial. Though zookeepers keep a watch 24x7, the cameras will give us insights into their behaviour for a prolonged period and help us identify things that can bettered for their well-being. If an animal is sick or is in a reproductive stage, it will be an added advantage to monitor their movement and make arrangements for what it needs accordingly,” the official said.
Zoo officials said the monitoring control room was opened on Thursday. Soumitra Dasgupta, additional director general of forests (wildlife) of the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change, was the chief guest on the day.
The Delhi zoo, located near the Old Fort, is spread over an area of 176 acres, and presently houses 94 species and 1,162 animals.
Zoo authorities also said they are aiming to increase the number of species by bringing in more animals under a host of exchange programmes.
The Delhi zoo was reopened to the public on August 1 this year.
It was shut for visitors on March 18 last year, a week before the nationwide lockdown that lasted 68 days was imposed. This was followed by an avian flu outbreak in January this year. The zoo finally reopened on April 1 this year, only to be closed two weeks later, as the fourth wave of Covid-19 spread in the Capital.