People ‘form close bonds’: Zoo uses AI to protect animals

Starting in June, Marwell Zoo will use Artificial Intelligence to monitor giraffes and red river hogs overnight, aiming to catch welfare problems earlier.

The three-year project will use an AI program developed by the University of Surrey. Scientists from the university will work to develop the program, which will track a baseline for the animals’ nocturnal activity.

The zoo hopes the software will then help detect welfare problems with the animals earlier, leading to better standards of care, before the system could be rolled out to more species.

“We are really proud to be doing this work,” said Laura Read, the zoo’s chief executive. “This will allow us to nip things in the bud much quicker and it will provide us with a wealth of information,” she added. “People are really interested in our animals and form quite close bonds with them.”