Mangaluru : Animal behaviour at Pilikula Biological Park of Dr Shivarama Karantha Pilikula Nisargadhama is set to come under the lens in the next fortnight. Thanks to a move by the Central Zoo Authority that has sanctioned Rs 15 lakh to the park to install 50 cameras equipped with night vision to monitor movements of animals in their enclosure. Provision has been made for senior zoo officials to access the camera feeds on their cell phones.

Accepting a proposal sent by the park authorities, the CZA sanctioned the funds to install these state-of-the-art cameras, noted H Jayaprakash Bhandary, director of the park. While the park has already installed CCTVs to cover the nearly 2km long pathway that leads to various animal enclosures, there were no cameras focusing exclusively on the enclosures, Bhandary told adding that this lacunae too is being met now with these night vision cameras.

The cameras will be used to monitor animal behaviour especially during their mating season in case of the big cats, Bhandary said. “We will also be able to keep an eye on the store room from where food is supplied to the animals and ensure there is no pilferage,” he said. The tender for installing night vision cameras has been approved and the work order will be issued soon. The work should be completed within the next 10-15-days, he added.

The cameras which will give clear picture even under defused light will be installed focused on enclosures of endangered animals. The feed for existing CCTV cameras is monitored on a large screen HD screen at the park office and the same arrangement will be followed for the new set of cameras being installed, he said. The same feed will be patched to the mobile phones of four senior officials of the park for round the clock monitoring, the director said.