Coin-op close up!

Edinburgh Zoo – the city's second most popular attraction – draws over 600,000 visitors each year and is widely respected for its conservation and academic research

But while its new CCTV system, installed by Euro-Tec, was driven by the need to improve security and monitor the animals, there was also a need for it to generate revenue.

"We recognised that the system could be utilised in a more proactive manner," said Gary Wilson, Head of Property and Estates. "So we came up with the idea to make use of the system to bring the animals closer to visitors."

The result is the first known 'Coin-op' CCTV system, where visitors to the restaurant can pay £1 for three minutes to operate any of the five Vista PowerDomes that form the central part of the site's CCTV system that cover the animal enclosures

A large plasma screen hanging from the restaurant ceiling displays the images for all to enjoy. In line with data protection legislation, sensitive areas of the site are blocked out using the privacy function. A second plasma screen is to be installed in the zoo's reception to entertain visitors queueing for admission.The system has been popular on poor weather days and the extra revenue generated goes towards animal conservation.

The 'Coin-Op' idea has also been used at the penguin enclosure where an underwater 'spyball' camera captures close up images.

Hunting dogs in close-up

Elsewhere infra red cameras are being used to capture close up views of the painted hunting dogs. "This emphasis on revenue generation", explains Wilson, "has meant investment for the system has come under revenue not capital expenditure."

We recognised that the CCTV system could be used more proactively – so we came up with an idea to bring the animals closer to visitors ...

He said that combined with Euro-Tec's three-year finance deal, it had made the new system affordable for the zoo.

The system comprises five static infra-red day/night cameras (Pecan SC5712ST) fitted with Vista vari-focal lenses, and five Vista PowerDome (VPD-3WP) high-speed domes with a mixture of clear and smoked bubbles.

The static cameras cover the main entry and exit points and the zoo's car parks and the domes span a variety of animal enclosures. Recording is on to a Dedicated Micros' DM Sprite 2 digital video recorder (DS2ADX16C). The control point consists of a large Vista monitor (PVD2100DG), the DM Sprite and keyboard and a separate CD writer for saving incidents.

"Originally we planned on using radio as the transmission method" said Jim Brown of Euro-Tec, based in Livingston.

"But it soon became clear that the tree canopy was too extensive for this to be possible. As a result the whole site is hardwired overhead and this took longer to install."

Said Wilson: "Euro-Tec worked very closely with us from the beginning, and was the only company we talked to who said they could devise a Coin-Op CCTV system.

“Thanks to Euro-Tec we got exactly what we asked for.”