FiNEtra web cams give visitors a bird’s eye view of the new penguin exhibit at London Zoo

UK company FiNETra has installed two of its LIVE TV style web cameras at London Zoo’s new penguin exhibit, Penguin Beach.   Unveiled in May, the £2m new attraction has been designed to more closely resemble the natural habitat of this endangered species, with beach areas, pebble shores and nesting boxes.  FiNETra have been retained to add underwater cameras to the new pool which is four times bigger and three times deeper than the Zoo’s original 1934 modernist enclosure. 

Related: FiNETra Company Profile / Painted Dogs and Dinosaurs: Chester Zoo's New MD on Why it's All Happening at the Zoo / Aquariums are good for you! Interview with Dr Dave Gibson, MD, National Marine Aquarium

FiNETra’s web cams stream live footage to an LCD screen just outside the exhibit, giving visitors unrivalled access to the penguins without intrusion.  But you don’t have to visit the Zoo to keep an eye on them.  FiNETra’s online camera portal, www.checkitlive.com, has a round-the-clock live link to the penguins, together with many other animals at zoos and nature reserves around the UK.  For visitors, checkitlive provides a convenient forum for greater engagement with their favourite animals, and the website is rapidly becoming home to a lively online community.  For zoos, checkitlive has also proved to be a highly effective marketing tool for building guest loyalty and increasing visitor numbers.

Mark Welch, FiNETra CEO, says, “With the added benefit of an LCD screen visitors will have access to live, rare footage of these much loved birds, nesting within their burrows.  In addition our camera portal, www.checkitlive.com, receives 10,000's of visitors every month, allowing zoos to extend their guest’s experience right into the home.  Zoos and visitor attractions across the country are recognising the benefits of a FiNETra web camera in increasing visitor engagement and driving footfall.”

Pippa Craddock, Marketing Director at Paignton Zoo agrees: “The camera is a fundamental part of our marketing strategy...with a 72% propensity to visit following viewing of the live action cameras, the marketing value speaks for itself.”

About FiNETra

FiNETra work with 100’s of attractions, using LIVE TV style web cameras to drive web traffic and visitor footfall. We have spent years researching, sourcing, developing and installing products that offer our clients the very best in online internet video streaming solutions, and we are proud to be the only supplier offering unlimited usage, meaning existing IT systems are completely unaffected by our camera solutions.  Alongside our camera solutions, we also host a unique online camera portal www.checkitlive.com which receives 10,000's of hits every day, offering our clients a free opportunity to showcase their venue globally. (Image right shows installation at Chessington Zoo.)

About London Zoo

Founded in 1826, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is an international scientific, conservation and educational charity, with the conservation of animals and their habitats as its key role. The Society runs ZSL London Zoo and ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, carries out scientific research at the Institute of Zoology and is actively involved in field conservation overseas. For further information please visit www.zsl.org.

Penguin Beach recreates a South American beach landscape in the heart of London, with stunning colonies of Humboldt and Macaroni penguins.  The new exhibit features a significantly larger pool with stunning underwater viewing areas and a large demonstration area.

Penguin Beach will be a breeding facility for colonies of Humboldt, macaroni, black-footed and rockhopper penguins and will include a special penguin nursery. This will include a chick incubation unit and a pool where the youngsters can learn how to swim.

For enquiries, please contact:
Mark Welch
Tel. (44) 1823 652888  
enquiries@finetra.co.uk

Video from www.checkitlive.com :