Posted by Heidi Schwartz
Thanks to a strategic collaboration between a technology company and the Copenhagen Zoo, the birth of a rare white male rhino has turned into a viral video event. Milestone Systems, the open platform company in IP video management software (VMS) teamed up with the zoo to broadcast the event in an effort to use video as a tool to extend and enhance visitor experiences and create new business possibilities for Copenhagen Zoo.
The first successful event using the networked video technology was the online broadcast of the birth of a male rhino calf at the zoo, on January 24, 2015. The broadcast attracted more than 35,000 views on YouTube and generated further interest.
Copenhagen Zoo is optimistic about the video technology possibilities in this strategic partnership. “The video software is not only helping us with safety and protection of the animals and staff—there are so many additional possibilities as well. It is a fascinating new category of management tool that is expanding into our line of business,” says Steffen Straede, CEO at Copenhagen Zoo. “We see a very positive reaction from our patrons when we announce the birth of an animal. The use of video technology gives the zoo patrons the possibility to experience the animals close up and undisturbed.”
The open platform technology in Milestone XProtect enables Copenhagen Zoo to pick camera brands and models that are perfectly suited to the highly challenging environment in the park. When the rhino calf was born, the national Danish broadcaster DR requested a live video feed from the rhino pen. The open architecture of the Milestone software helped facilitate this request on short notice, and the rhino calf became an instant media darling on Danish prime time television.
“We have an excellent relationship with Copenhagen Zoo, and we look forward to developing new concepts that can further enhance the experience of parks in the future,” says Kenneth Hune Petersen, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at Milestone Systems.
