The Chimpcam Project is a documentary featuring the first movie to be filmed entirely by chimpanzees. The chimpanzees do this using a "chimpcam" - a video recorder housed in a chimpanzee-proof box. The device is used by 11 chimpanzees living at the Edinburgh Zoo in the U.K. The experiment was the idea of producer John Capener Burning Gold Productions and became part of the studies of primatologist Betsy Herrelko,Chimpcam.com, Chimpcam Official Website who is studying for a Ph.D. in primate behaviour at the University of Stirling. The documentary was a co-production between the BBC strand Natural World BBC 2 Programmes 2009-10, Natural World minisite and Animal Planet. It premiered on BBC Two on 27 January 2010.Movie made by chimpanzees to be broadcast on television, BBC, 25 January 2010Edinburgh Zoo Primates Zoom in on The Chimpcam Project, Deadline Scotland, 25 January 2010BBC in television first with chimpanzee-made movie, metro.co.uk, 25 January 2010Chimps at city zoo get behind the camera for BBC documentary, Scotsman, 25 January 2010BBC to air world's first film shot by chimpanzees, canada.com, 25 January 2010
The "chimpcam"
The "chimpcam" consists of a receiver which is housed in a special chimpanzee-proof casing. Chimpanzees can see the video images various cameras are capturing and can decide via touch screen "...whether to watch footage of their outside enclosure, or the food preparation room, where zoo staff prepare the chimps' meals."
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