Delhi zoo installs camera traps to track animal movement

Infra-red camera traps have been laid in the enclosures of foxes and jackals at Delhi zoo to keep a track of activities of these animals that love to spend most of their time in burrows. Two to three infra-red camera traps were installed in the enclosures recently to gauge their movements and food intake.

"We were facing a lot of troubles as foxes and jackals spend most of their day huddled in burrows. Whenever we approach them with food or treatment, they sprint towards their holes," says veterinary officer Dr Abhijeet Bhawal. "The cameras do not have flash so that the animals are not disturbed. The infra-red beams record any movement of these nocturnal creatures. We get to know whether they are healthy and having their food, even in case of new births," he added.

The zoo currently has six jackals and four foxes. The official adds that there are plans to install similar technology in the area where hyenas are kept if they show similar detachment.