Where All The Animals Are: Find Out With New Philly Zoo App

The interface of the new Philadelphia Zoo app, Zoo360insider. Photo by Brian Thomas.

In addition to having a beer at the Philadelphia Zoo, visitors can now track the whereabouts of their favorite aardvark, lynx, or spider monkey. So instead of standing at a trail wondering where all the animals are, the newly released app can help users manage their zoo time according to visitor-logged animal sightings.

The app, Zoo360insider, uses a heat map to trace animals along the zoo’s five Zoo360 trails, the Philadelphia Business Journal reports. When a user spots an animal and logs the sighting into the app, a pin drops at the location, and as time goes on, the size and color intensity of the pin will decrease. The larger and more vibrant an animal’s pin, the more likely that animal will still be at the pinned location.

“This is the next evolution of innovation of the Zoo360,” said President and CEO, Vikram H. Dewan in a statement, the Journal reports. “The ability for guest-to-guest interaction along with guest-to-animal engagement creates an experience unlike any other.”

The updated app also enhances the zoo’s social opportunities by letting users take, save and share photographs on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. Visitors can use the app’s updated routes to find their way and still do the basics like purchase tickets and plan itineraries. Those interested in making donations to support wildlife and the zoo, or even adopt an animal, can find out how through the app.

Zoo360insider works with the zoo’s new wireless infrastructure, which includes nearly 100 hotspots for connection.

The app can be downloaded from the Apple App store or Google Play store.