Sep29
The Zoo of the Future
Posted at 02:41 PM | Permalink
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The BBC has just unveiled its "Wildlife Finder," a Web site it bills as "the world's biggest online zoo." To create the "zoo," which so far includes 370 different species of animals (with more to come), the BBC has compiled video footage from hundreds of wildlife documentaries, including the blockbuster hit Planet Earth.
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Unlike a "real" zoo, with its bored animals gazing out blankly from concrete cells and cramped cages, BBC's Wildlife Finder captures animals in their own habitats—from the rain forests of Chile to the volcanoes of Papua New Guinea. No more peering through cage bars trying in vain to catch a glimpse of a sleeping lemur or waiting for the hippos to come up for air. BBC's Wildlife Finder includes footage shot with underwater and infrared cameras to capture nocturnal and deep-sea animals doing the things that they do naturally—things they never get to do in a zoo.
So far, the most popular animals are proving to be the meerkats (who doesn't love meerkats?), Darwin's frog (a Chilean frog whose males give birth through their mouths—all of which is caught on tape, of course), and the New Guinea jumping spider, who is shown jumping onto a cameraman.
Gather the kids around the PC and check out the online zoo today. They'll learn a heck of a lot more than they would at the local wildlife penitentiary.
Posted by Alisa Mullins
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It would be cool if the website presented itself like Google Maps and let you find animals like that.
I guess the problem is most people want to see animals with their own eyes, in depth and all. There are trips and such to do this but not everyone can afford the time and money for that. Miserable world, huh?
Posted by: Renfield | September 29, 2009 03:28 PM
Wicked.. im sooo pleased about this, ive never took my kids to a zoo because i dont want them to associate animals with being shut away in cages or pits, i want them to see animals how they should be seen..in the wild and with their natural abilitys, so i'll be showing my kids this site and encourage them to tell their friends, it will also be nice to see the animals up close which in zoos you carnt really do. The bbc has shown some great programmes on wildlife and we all sit down and watch and talk about it, with my youngest always asking 'why are they doing that' and 'is that what they really eat' so with this being available on the net 24/7 she could learn a lot about our beautiful creatures. Well done bbc.
Posted by: emma | September 29, 2009 03:34 PM
That's like watching the discovery channel. Educational and fun, but, in no way, a replacement to actually seeing the animals in front of you.
Posted by: D.Man | September 29, 2009 04:34 PM
If you want to see animals in front of you, go camping, hiking, whale watching, or save your money and go on a photograpghic safari.
Posted by: Rev. Meg Schramm | September 29, 2009 06:52 PM
Planet Earth is by far the best wildlife documentary series of all time. Possibly the best documentary series ever. But still, there is nothing as good as the real thing.
Posted by: Edward | September 29, 2009 07:26 PM
Creatures in the wild are never save if humans are aware of their existence. I hope this veritable zoo is safeguarding the majestic species.
Posted by: Brien Comerford | September 29, 2009 07:51 PM
I have seen many zoos on tv where the animals have a lot of enrichment like the keepers hiding food and let the animals try to find it. Keeps their minds active and they are still living in as close as possible to their natural environment. I am still very against any elephant placed in zoos and if they cannot be released into the wild a valid sanctuary like the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee or the PAWS sanctuary in California are the best places for the elephants. Other animals like primates and bears and such can live in zoos provided they do get mind enrichment like hiding food and having them find it. Polar bears get giant blocks of ice with fruit inside and they have to work at it to get the fruit. So not all zoos have bars or barren cages.
Posted by: Rex's Mom | September 30, 2009 03:12 PM
After I watched some of these videos on peta I decided to try something new for a week i won't eat any meat... And if that works out for me I may stop eatting if for life thanks for opening my eyes to something I never knew b4
Posted by: mercedes | October 3, 2009 10:22 AM
Not all zoos are bad. And, I know people don't like to hear it, but some people don't really learn about an animal from a book, a tv special or via online video. Not saying that all zoos are good. And, some animals (elephants), shouldn't be kept in the majority of zoos. However, seeing it in person, often gives a person more respect for the species as a whole.
Posted by: Danielle | October 9, 2009 03:50 AM