Self isolation has led to a lot of tourist hotspots moving their attractions online (in the form of virtual tours) – and now several zoos have followed suit.
A number of zoos around the world are now broadcasting live webcam footage from inside their animal enclosures – so people can relive a trip to the venue, from the comfort of their own homes.
In the UK, Edinburgh Zoo has set up a variety of cameras so people can embark on a virtual tour of the facility.
There’s a panda cam, where online visitors can watch Yang Guan go about his business, alongside a penguin camera, a tiger camera and a koala camera.
Japan’s Hirakawa Zoological Park in Kagoshima has a daily live stream for two rare animals – a white tiger and a whale shark.
The white tiger can usually be seen between 9 am and 4 pm, whereas the huge aquarium tank containing the whale shark is streamed from 9 am to 9 pm.
Meanwhile, cameras at San Diego Zoo give visitors an insight into a whole range of enclosures, including giraffes, baboons, penguins and polar bears.
One venue getting creative with live streaming is the Cincinnati Zoo – which has launched a Facebook Live Feed every day at 3 pm, where it takes people on a ‘Home Safari’.
The idea behind it is that the zoo focuses on a different animal each day, to provide a fun and educational experience for viewers. Previously the zoo’s black rhino, Seyia, appeared on the live stream and keepers took real-time questions.
It’s worth pointing out that while the live streams are totally free, the zoos are still taking donations (and you would usually pay for an entry ticket anyway).
Without paying visitors, the zoos are looking for support now, more than ever, in order to care for the animals they house.
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