MOSCOW, September 26 (RIA Novosti) - The Moscow Zoo is planning to install live webcams in its animals’ open-air cages which will allow visitors to take a virtual tour of the zoo from the comfort of their homes, zoo spokesperson Anna Kachurovskaya reported to M.24.ru
“We have these cams in our plans. However, it will be problematic to organize broadcasting without any additional assistance. The communications system is rather weak at the zoo. We hope that this problem will be solved after the reconstruction,” Kachurovskaya added. All of the necessary equipment is expected to be delivered after the reconstruction of the zoo, she said.
The installation of webcams will probably be carried out using the money raised. “This winter we are planning to launch a new program called “Friends of the Zoo. We will sell membership cards to our visitors to attract the additional money necessary for the project. There will be different types of cards; presumably a standard, gold and a platinum one,” Kachurovskaya explained to m24.ru.
According to The Moscow Times, reconstruction work on the zoo started this May. By the time the zoo celebrated its 150th anniversary this August, the first stage of the reconstruction had already been completed. The second, and final, stage of the reconstruction is slated for 2016. The last time the zoo was reconstructed was in 1990s. During that reconstruction, 50 new sites were added. Nowadays the Moscow Zoo is considered a world class scientific and cultural organization.
“The webcam installation project will readily be financed by big investors,” media expert Anton Korobkov-Zemlyansky told M24.ru. He also pointed out that additional money could be obtained through advertising.
The installation of webcams in the Moscow Zoo is not an isolated incident. “Similar projects have already been implemented. For example, the Colorado Zoo broadcasted giraffes in their enclosures”, Korobkov-Zemlyansky told M24.ru
As Korobkov-Zemlyansky said, the broadcasts will be highly successful on the Internet. Furthermore, these broadcasts will attract more tourists to the zoo. “This project will be rather popular in regions where there are no similar parks and people can observe animal life with great pleasure”, he added.
World Wildlife Fund coordinator Nataliya Dronova noticed that the project would be in great demand and broadcasts of young animals would be particularly appreciated. “The most important thing is to set cameras into the enclosures of animals and birds that stay active in the daytime when the site has the biggest number of visitors,” she added.
