Innovative Zoo Cameras Can Now Monitor Animal's Health From Afar

Up till now, zookeepers and veterinaries who wanted to monitor vital signs or do regular health checkups for wild animals had to use specialized equipment while sedating them and disturbing their daily routine.

But now, a new promising camera software offers a non-abusive way to do that without the need for anesthetics.

Story Via: Phys.org

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The new sophisticated innovation is being examined in a pilot study at the Adelaide Zoo in South Australia, by a group of university researchers.

Via University of South Australia
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The Zoo is using a high-resolution digital camera installed on a tripod to take tiny movements in the chest, indicating heart breathing rates.

Via MDPI
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9 species of animals were filmed for 3 minutes, up to 40 meters away: a giant panda, African lion, alpaca, Sumatran tiger, Koala, orangutan, Hamadryas baboon, red kangaroo, and a little blue penguin.

Via Photo by Jamshed Ahmad from Pexels
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UniSA Professor, engineer Javaan Chahl, provided more info about the pilot:

"The study was done without any physical contact with the animals and without disrupting their daily routine. We showed through this experiment that digital cameras can successfully extract cardiopulmonary signals from the animals in a zoo setting. The technique needs refining and more validation, but it demonstrates that wild animals can be remotely monitored for signs of poor health, allowing for earlier detection of illness and fewer unconscious trips to the vet".

Senior veterinarian Ian Smith explained that the new technology is crucial to ensuring safety for all parties: "When you're dealing with lions, there are a lot of health risks for the personnel involved," he said.

Via pexels