CCTV protection for the animals at ZSL London Zoo’s Gorilla Kingdom is also giving visitors an unrestricted view of the gorillas. The installer is Chubb Security.
Home for the western lowland gorillas is a secure clearing surrounded by water and foliage, which they share with a number of colubus monkeys and birds from the nearby African aviary. The clearing is separated from land by a moat, secured by low-voltage fencing and discreet cameras, letting the wildlife enjoy a more natural habitat, with minimum disruption from onlookers. This allows visitors to learn more about the gorillas, unrestricted by cage bars.
Due to its open nature, Gorilla Kingdom is manned by staff at all times. By installing security beams around the moat, designed to integrate with the zoo’s low-voltage fencing and CCTV, staff have an extra warning if any visitor reaches too far over the railing. When a beam is broken, the CCTV camera points directly at that area, then an alert is transmitted using a Chubb alarm and signalling device.
“The moat was previously secured by a low voltage fence which, although effective in keeping the animals from getting out, was less effective in preventing members of the public from leaning in, and therefore an upgrade was required,” says Paul Moran, Security Consultant at Chubb Security UK. “Double security beams, using specialist underwater cabling and poles around the moat to integrate with the CCTV and fencing, was the best way to achieve a full visual security solution for the enclosure, without frightening the animals or the public with false alarms or unnecessary noise.”
The installation was designed to protect the welfare of both the gorillas and the public and needed to be unobtrusive and compatible with the ‘natural’ environment. ZSL London Zoo’s Brenda Tonks says: “The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) sought a discreet, unobtrusive solution that would give us the earliest indication that someone had attempted to cross the moat and alert the on-site security team, without compromising the aesthetics of the enclosure. Chubb’s solution gives us what we need and in a way that doesn’t impact on the visitor experience.”
Gorilla Kingdom is the Zoo’s most significant investment for more than 40 years, taking 18 months to build and being opened by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh in March 2007.
