Intrusion Detectors Protect Animals At United Kingdom Zoo

  • Dec 05, 2007

A combination of external detectors using shared technology from Optex Europe is playing an integral part in preventing the theft of precious and often valuable animals from a zoo in East Sussex in the United Kingdom.

Drusillas Park in Alfriston has opted for Optex Europe’s detectors on the advice of the systems specialist Haven Security, following a spate of thefts from zoos last year, including the disappearance of groups of endangered Geoffroy’s marmosets and silvery marmosets from Drusillas Park.

“In recent years small zoos have become the target for thieves -- often stealing animals to order,” said Peter Moon, estate manager for the zoo. “The rare primates were thankfully recovered and returned, but these events convinced us we needed more reliable systems in place to detect would-be intruders. We were already working with Haven Security at the time, and they recommended that we try Optex Europe’s detectors.

“The system we now have installed is concentrated in specific areas where the animals are kept and includes low level detectors to protect the pathways, entrances and exits of the enclosures and high-level detectors to monitor the wider perimeter.”

The zoo makes maximum use of two of Optex Europe’s detector technologies – the VX402, and REDWAVE detectors, part of the REDWALL range.

“The system is proving to be very reliable and we haven’t experienced any false alarms,” Moon said. “Indeed the only time an alarm has been triggered so far was for an early morning food delivery to one of the cafes. Despite being unwanted, it did at least prove that the system is working efficiently. We are very pleased with the system and have plans to extend it to cover more areas.”

The VX402 series detectors -- part of the Boundary Guard range -- employ a proven multiple detection pattern technology, also used in the REDWAVE devices, that creates two discrete detection areas so that only when an intruder is detected in both areas is an alarm output provided. The detection patterns can be easily adjusted to increase/decrease the detection range, and effectively ‘personalize’ the installation around the customer’s requirements.

Drusillas Park covers 15 acres and it is widely regarded as the best small zoo in the UK. Residents include meerkats, penguins, monkeys, bats, lemurs, beavers, otters, gibbons and owls along with Petworld and a host of creepy crawlies. Other attractions include Thomas the Tank Engine train ride, Amazon Adventure, Panning for Gold, Adventure Golf the Discovery Centre and Wacky Workshop. New for 2008 is a Walk-through Lemur enclosure and a new outdoor play area called ‘Go Bananas’

“There is a huge emphasis on visitor participation within the zoo and even the youngest of visitors are catered for with low-level viewing and imaginative animal displays so they can meet a wide range of animals from all over the world, living in cleverly designed naturalistic settings,” Moon said.

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