Damian Aspinall, whose father John Aspinall
founded Howletts Wild Animal Park, has launched the world’s
first virtual zoo at www.howletts.net.
At the new site, announced Monday, visitors will be able to
operate live controllable webcams, zooming in on endangered species
as the animals move around their enclosures. Among the species that
can be viewed are African elephants, Siberian tigers, a rare
species of African antelope called the bongo, and the world’s
largest captive gorilla colony with 52 Western Lowland
gorillas.
“Howletts’ crusade to preserve rare and endangered wildlife
attracts global recognition,” said Damian Aspinall.
“We want people around the world to see the animals’ excellent
conditions in real time and learn about our unique breeding
achievements. No other animal park or zoo can match this
virtual live experience.”
Howletts Wild Animal Park is a charitable foundation, located
at Bekesbourne near Canterbury. It has a worldwide reputation
for its pioneering work with rare animals.
“If I were an animal the ONLY place where I would like to live
is at Aspinall’s,” said Kurt Benirschke, president of The
Zoological Society of San Diego recently.
The new web site has be created by Blueberry New Media as an
educational and entertainment experience. Six Sony Zoom webcams
will be streaming live video 24 hours a day to users around
the world.