Security Analyst, Dr. Adam Bonaa has urged the Forestry Commission to employ innovative ways of surveillance and safety at zoos across the country.
The call comes after a middle-aged man was mauled to death by a lion after he allegedly scaled the fence into an enclosure of lions at the Accra Zoo at Achimota.
Speaking to Starr News, Dr. Bonaa said these attacks can be foiled when technology is applied to already existing safety measures at the Zoo.
“I think that like the Zoo, we have motion detectors, you put them within a certain distance so the moment you go across…you walk into it and it triggers an alarm. So, mine is that let’s put in some of these sensoring equipment. Sometimes, you might want to put in devices that could give a bit of a shock. So this guy as he attempted to hold the perimeter fence, if he had been given a mild shock maybe he would have backed off.”
“There are several systems that if they speak to the right person I’m sure they would be able to put them in place to ensure the safety of the zoo keepers, the safety of the animals and the safety of the public who come there to take a look at these wild animals which most of them are going extinct. If these places are becoming unsafe because we haven’t put in enough safety measures then by word of mouth, you’ll have these animals but nobody will visit the place, you’re not able to generate revenue and also feed the animals,” Dr. Bonaa added.
