Atlanta Zoo Panda Cub Helps Get Students Engaged

With the increasing amount of online content available on the internet, virtual components are beginning to find their way into classroom curriculum as a valuable resource for teachers and students alike to connect and interact with each other in new ways.

The phenomenal demand for online content that we’ve seen in the industry holds true for the Atlanta Zoo’s Panda Cam, which Limelight Networks is helping to deliver 24-hour coverage of its new panda cub, born just two months ago. The Panda Cam offers viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the panda cub from its actual birth and then through development until the cub is old enough to be presented in public.

We all know pandas like to lounge and eat bamboo. With the power of online streaming, less commonly seen moments like the birth of a panda cub or a young cub playing with its mother can be viewed by more than just Zoo staff. With pandas being found at only four zoos in the country, not only does online streaming offer more access to pandas and to these rare moments, but it’s also serving as an online tool teachers can use to get students more engaged with classroom curriculum.

“Though I don’t teach science, the Panda Cam has provided many an opportunity for me to talk to my teen students about something other than why they don’t do their homework,” says Jessie Oldham, a 9th grade English teacher. “Quite a few students have written the URL down and apparently check in at home or on their own time.”

Before the cub was born, the Zoo averaged about 8,000-10,000 hits a day on the Panda Cam. Since the birth, and especially since the camera went live 24/7 with Limelight Networks, there has been an increase to around 30,000 hits a day on average with a high peaking at 84,500 hits in a day. The Zoo was able to handle that increased traffic on their site without issue thanks to Limelight. The camera has attracted viewers from as close as Canada and Brazil to as far as the UK, China, Germany, Australia and more, helping the Atlanta Zoo bring attention to one of its most important programs.

The Panda Cam is available for viewing 24×7 from the Atlanta Zoo website.

This entry was posted on Friday, November 7th, 2008 at 2:11 pm and is filed under Content Delivery Network. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.