Rescued koalas in Brisbane streamed live via CamStreamer App

About the project

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane, Australia, excels in many ways. Established in 1927, it is the first and largest koala sanctuary with 130 koalas and many other Australian animals living in natural vegetation and artificial habitats. In total, it provides a safe home to over 70 species of Australian native wildlife. “When the sanctuary opened almost 100 years ago, the mission was to build a safe refuge for sick, injured, and orphaned koalas. At that time, the species was being culled for the fur trade. Our founder, Claude Reid, recognized something had to be done to help protect one of Australia's most iconic species, and his legacy lasts until today,” says Robert Friedler, general manager at Lone Pine Sanctuary.

Today, Lone Pine’s mission is to invite local and international guests to experience native Australian animals. The aim is to allow guests not only to watch but also to connect with native species and learn about them. “We want to leave our guests inspired to make small, positive changes in their daily lives to help protect their own native wildlife and habitats,” says Friedler. “To let our guests, supporters and, stakeholders stay connected with Lone Pine, we decided to start live streaming. Our wildlife is happy and well cared for – this way, everybody is able to observe the animals 24/7.”

Technical solution

There are several live cameras running. “We decided to stream from AXIS cameras. They’re of excellent quality and easy to manage,” says Friedler. Cameras from series P32, P39, M30, M31, and Q17 were chosen. The main criteria were first-rate resolution and exceptional light sensitivity, which makes it possible to get a high-quality image even in challenging light conditions and even at night. The live video is streamed to the organization’s website koala.tv and also to YouTube via the CamStreamer App. “The CamStreamer App allows us to stream without the security risk of port forwarding,” explains Friedler. Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary also runs one of the live cams with the CamOverlay App aimed at the public park area where the river cruise from the city arrives daily. This live video features a weather widget with a forecast and an info ticker providing useful information about the park.

Conclusion

The live streams from Lone Pine’s exhibits have become widely popular. “Axis and Camstreamer provide free software updates and feature improvements long after the purchase, which is important to us,” says Friedler. In the future, he hopes to expand the number of live cameras and invest in Axis cameras with advanced Lightfinder 2.0 technology.

“Our mission is still the same – to help, preserve, and educate. Live webcams are part of this mission. They communicate the intelligence and emotional life of wildlife, and that builds empathy and a conservation motivation,” concludes Friedler.

Watch the YouTube Channel.