The natural habitat of a Ring device is typically found in and around the home, but our latest partnership with the National Reptile Zoo in Kilkenny, Ireland, puts Ring right where the wild things are. Read on to find out how our new neighbour, Battle the alligator, gave us an extremely toothy welcome.
The National Reptile Zoo teams up with Ring to get closer to their animals
Zoo manager, James Hennessy, reached out to share a few videos after installing a Ring Security Camera, hoping to keep tabs on a highly venomous bushmaster snake. Thanks to his Ring device, James was able to document the snake laying eggs and gather fascinating insights into her nocturnal behaviour.
The shenanigans began when Hennessy tried his luck in Battle's domain, where it seems the American alligator may have noticed the motion detection light and started investigating.
The suspenseful footage captures Battle with just his eyes and nose above the water, as he tracks the Ring Indoor Camera (2nd gen) for several days — before widening his jaws to reveal a rare glimpse of his 80 teeth and lunging at the Security Camera. Battle wasn’t harmed at all but Hennessy commented: “The [Ring] camera did not survive the attack! After he pulled it down, it lay cracked open and submerged at the bottom of the pond overnight.”
Opening up the world of reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates
Ring has now donated 11 additional devices alongside a Ring subscription, placing them in even more enclosures to share access with members of staff. By installing these devices they'll be able to remotely view over 50 animal species, ranging from geckos and poison dart frogs, to tarantulas, pythons and of course, alligators. This not only helps animals in the zoo, but can also help provide invaluable information to support the zoo's work with species in the wild.
Alongside this, the zookeepers also enjoyed being able to have eyes on the animals before opening doors to any enclosures. Ring’s Advanced Motion Detection feature gives owners more accurate Motion Alerts, as well as notifications when something moves within the vicinity of the device, so keepers have had fewer surprises! But they don't have to worry about missing anything, their Ring subscription records all events and ensures footage is available to download and rewatch up to 180 days later.
Putting a spotlight on lesser-known critters
Described as docile but extremely curious, the 29-year-old reptile lives alongside a smaller female alligator named LaFleur. Battle often interacts with enrichment items introduced to his abode, including basketballs and flower petals. So it was no surprise when he got up-close-and-personal with the Ring Security Camera. Speaking on Battle's mischievous character James states, "He likes to rearrange the rocks and substrate in his habitat, especially after we've cleaned it or put in new items."
With over 60 themed habitats containing live animals, visitors have the chance to get to know these complex creatures in their natural habitat and interact via special ‘encounters’. The focus on conservation at the zoo means the enclosures are carefully designed to replicate each animal's optimum environment. Using Ring, the zoo can now begin to vastly expand their capabilities to watch, learn and continuously adapt while providing responsive care.
Have you caught an animal in full-on critter mode? If you have captured a great clip on a Ring device and have Ring Protect, you can simply press the ‘Share’ button on your Ring app and choose ‘Share with Ring’ to submit your footage to us.