Dresden Zoo
Safety for people and animals
Dresden Zoo opts for mechanical locking system from WILKA
Dresden Zoo, one of the oldest and most traditional zoos in Germany, is not only a popular destination for outings, but also home to a large number of endangered animal species. Among them is the Sumatran orangutan, a highly endangered species of ape.
The orangutan protection programme at Dresden Zoo is an important initiative that focuses on the protection and conservation of this species.
The construction of the new orangutan house is an important project within this programme. The orangutans now have significantly more space, climbing opportunities, retreat areas and activity islands in the indoor and outdoor areas of the new enclosure. The modern new habitat not only fulfils the needs of the orangutans, but also combines animal-friendly facilities adapted to the guidelines of modern animal care with innovative architecture.
At the beginning of March 2024, WILKA specialist dealer Weckbacher Sicherheitssysteme from Dresden was commissioned to plan and supply the locking system, which, in addition to the orangutan house, covers the entire zoo with around 1,000 locking points – from visitor areas to administration and animal care zones.
The challenge
A modern and robust locking system was needed that would fulfil the requirements of both the sensitive animal area and the extensive zoo infrastructure. In view of the complex access authorisations and the high security requirements, it was extremely important for Dresden Zoo and the specialist dealer to develop an optimum solution that would not intrude too much on the animals' habitat during the installation work.
"When it came to choosing the right locking system, we opted for the 2VS mechanical locking system from WILKA. In addition to very high resistance to unauthorised opening, it also offers the right corrosion resistance," says Stefan Freitag, Branch Manager for Central Germany at Weckbacher Sicherheitssysteme. "It has to be able to withstand the daily high-pressure cleaning of the enclosures as well as possible break-in and escape attempts."
The locking system
The 2VS locking system is designed to be highly resistant to common break-in methods, such as breaking open with mechanical tools or drilling into locking cylinders. The cylinder is equipped with special protective mechanisms that make it more difficult to damage the lock, thus increasing security.
Thanks to security functions such as integrated pull protection, the specially hardened internal mechanism and anti-picking technology, the locking system offers a high level of protection against cylinder tampering.
Another important aspect of the 2VS locking system is its corrosion resistance. The materials used are selected to ensure that they retain their functionality and security in the long term, even under difficult climatic conditions such as humidity or extreme temperature fluctuations. This makes the locking system particularly suitable for outdoor use and for applications in environments susceptible to corrosion.
The key is equipped with special security features such as high-security cutting, which makes it difficult to duplicate the key without authorised approval. This provides additional protection against key copies and unauthorised access.
Another advantage of the 2VS locking system is its scalability. The system can be expanded with additional cylinders or keys at any time without having to reconfigure the entire locking system. This makes it a flexible solution that can be adapted to changing security requirements.
A total of 560 double cylinders, 180 half cylinders and around 320 padlocks from the WILKA brand will be installed at Dresden Zoo by the time construction is completed. The overall system will include several individual locking systems for the respective areas. After the orangutan house, the locking systems for the lion, elephant, snow leopard and crocodile enclosures will now follow.
The collaboration
The collaboration consisted of a hand-in-hand approach. "In addition to the high-quality products, what we liked about WILKA was the presence of the responsible sales representative, the short decision-making processes and the online ordering system," Freitag explains. However, the smooth coordination with WILKA was not the only important aspect in the project's success; the collaboration with the staff of Dresden Zoo has also been extremely pleasant and professional to date. This made it possible to ensure at all times during planning and implementation that the disruption caused to the animals by the work was reduced to a minimum.
"We are delighted that the first construction phase has been successfully realised with the completion of the orangutan house and that we can now concentrate on the remaining construction work together with Dresden Zoo," explains Stefan Freitag.
