Audio Sign and Outdoor PIR Speaker – ZSL London Zoo

ZSL London Zoo is one of the oldest in the UK and houses over 14,000 animals, from mammals like lions and giraffes, to amphibians as small as frogs and salamanders. Recently, ZSL London Zoo opened a new walkthrough exhibit called Monkey Valley.

The exhibit towers 80ft high (that’s two stacked double-decker buses!) and takes place in the iconic Snowdon Aviary (now converted to home monkeys). Here, visitors are transported to Central Africa where they can walk at height through the Aviary experiencing the colobus monkeys living, playing and sometimes sleeping all around.

As part of this new attraction ‘Colobus Corner’ was created. A spot to learn some interesting facts about these amazing monkeys. We were in turn commissioned to provide audio signage that would help translate the unique clicks and grunts of ‘colobus speak’ for visitors.

With three touch-sensitive buttons, a waterproof handset and SoundClip audio unit within, this sign helps educate visitors on the monkey sounds they are likely to hear whilst walking the habitat. It was crucial that audio wouldn’t disorient or upset the local inhabitants so a waterproof handset was used instead of speakers.

The entrance and exit to the walkthrough are vestibules designed to keep the colobus monkeys inside while visitors pass through. On your way through one of these vestibules you’re likely to hear a colobus monkey… let off some gas. These sounds (sourced and edited by us) are provided by a carefully hidden audio unit activated by PIR as visitors walk past.

The point of this (apart from it being a fun little surprise for visitors) is to reinforce the interesting fact that colobus monkeys have a very specialised digestive system which means they often release gas. Sofie Davis, Interpretation Developer at ZSL London Zoo has this to say about the project;

“BBAV delivered the hardware and casing for our communication exhibit, working flexibly and alongside our graphics vendor to ensure the design fit our brief. The audio effects they produced were competitively priced and all our feedback was incorporated in excellent time. Their problem-solving skills, friendliness and knowledge of the challenges of installation were valuable throughout the process and I felt we were always working together to create the best, safest and most cost-effective version of the interactives.”

You can discover more about this magnificent new habitat below: