Dresden Zoo relies on mechanical locking system from WILKA

HUMAN AND ANIMAL SAFETY

Dresden Zoo is among the oldest and most traditional zoos in Germany. The zoo is not only a popular destination for an outing, but also houses a large number of endangered species. Among them also the Sumatran orangutan. A highly endangered species of monkey. The species protection program for orangutans at Dresden Zoo is an important initiative. It focuses on the protection and conservation of this species. The construction of the new orangutan enclosure is an important project within this program.

The orangutans now have significantly more space, climbing opportunities, places to retreat and activity islands in the indoor and outdoor areas of the new enclosure. The new, modern habitat not only meets the needs of the orangutans, but also combines animal-friendly facilities, adapted to the guidelines of modern animal husbandry, with innovative architecture.

At the beginning of March 2024, WILKA dealer Weckbacher received

Sicherheitssysteme of Dresden the contract for planning and supplying the locking system. In addition to the orangutan enclosure, this system extends to the entire zoo with a total of about 1,000 locking points - from visitor areas to administration and animal care zones.

The challenge

A modern and robust locking system was needed that on the one hand met the requirements of the sensitive animal enclosures and on the other hand would fit well within the zoo's extensive infrastructure. In view of the complex access authorizations and high security requirements, it was extremely important for Zoo Dresden and the specialized dealer to develop an optimal solution that would not disturb the animals' living environment too much during the installation work.

"When we had to choose the right locking system, we chose the mechanical locking system 2VS from WILKA. In addition to a very high resistance to unauthorized opening, this system also offers the right corrosion resistance," says Stefan Freitag, branch manager for central Germany at Weckbacher Sicherheitssysteme. "The system must be able to withstand the daily high-pressure cleaning of the stays, as well as possible break-in and escape attempts."

The locking system

The 2VS locking system is designed to be highly resistant to common burglary methods, such as breaking open with mechanical tools or drilling out locking cylinders. The cylinder is equipped with special protection mechanisms that make it more difficult to damage the lock and thus increase security. Thanks to security features such as the integrated core pull protection, specially hardened internal mechanism and anti-picking technology, the locking system offers a high level of protection against cylinder tampering. 

Another important aspect of locking system 2VS is its corrosion resistance. The materials used are specially selected so that they retain their functionality and safety 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 corrosion-prone environments.

The key is equipped with special security features, such as a highly secure cutout, which makes it difficult to duplicate the key without authorized permission. This provides additional protection against key duplication and unauthorized access.

Another advantage of the 2VS locking system is its scalability. The system can be expanded at any time with additional cylinders or keys. This does not require reconfiguring the entire locking system. This makes this system a flexible solution that can be adapted to changing security requirements. 

A total of 560 double cylinders, 180 half cylinders and about 320 padlocks of the WILKA brand will be installed at Zoo Dresden upon completion of construction. The system comes with several separate locks for the respective zones. After the orangutan enclosure, the lion, elephant, snow leopard and crocodile enclosures are now also being fitted with new locking systems.

The collaboration

The cooperation went very smoothly. "In addition to the high-quality products, we also liked the presence of the responsible representative at WILKA, the short decision-making processes and the online ordering system," Freitag explains. But not only the smooth coordination with WILKA was important for the success of the project. The cooperation with the Zoo Dresden staff was also extremely pleasant and professional. This made it possible to ensure at all times during planning and execution that the animals were affected as little as possible by the work.

"We are delighted that the first construction phase has been completed with the completion of the orangutan enclosure. Now we can focus together with Zoo Dresden on the remaining construction work," explained Stefan Freitag.  

Product information at a glance: Turn key system 2VS

Technical data

- Cylinder conforming to DIN 18252 and EN 1303;

- 6 pin rockers (from 30 mm);

- 5 pin rockers for short cylinders (26.5 mm) or asymmetrical cylinders, respectively;

- Patent protection;

- Special diabolic pen as picking protection;

- Paracentric key profile against unauthorized opening with lockpicking tools;

- 3 new silver keys;

- Up to 12 profile control pins in two additional levels;

- New key design for use with common security hardware;

- Optional modular construction.

Special equipment

- Drilling protection (ABH) IX or X;

- Breakaway bracket.

- Predefined breaking points as core pull protection;

- Seawater-resistant design;