Thousands of Tasmanian Shy Albatrosses are slaughtered every year from illegal long-line fishing practices. Ladbrokes.com has funded the Big Bird Race 2004: a conservation project tracking the migration of 18 birds from Tasmania to South Africa, ending on August 5.
Results are transmitted via satellite chips on the birds to the internet at , designed by creative agency Naked Penguin Boy.
Punters and scientists will be able to bet on the outcome of the race, with special categories for gender and island start points.
Ladbrokes are donating all gambling proceeds back to the project, and will enjoy PR benefits from the campaign with a link back to the Ladbrokes homepage.
Features of the microsite include an advanced interactive map with zoom and scroll facilities, allowing the users to replay the race from day one. Users can view profiles of the birds detailing weight category, gender and altitude. Children can download an interactive game, with an email-a-friend option.
Ladbrokes e-gaming IT director Steve Maxwell said: "This is a not-for-profit exercise -- a great opportunity to give something back and have a bit of fun. It's for a good cause and there are PR opportunities."
Naked Penguin Boy director Greg Heasley said: "We needed to build the microsite in a way that Ladbrokes could easily update the birds' progress daily via a content management system. We also included error checking and an automated backup of data after each update."
A celebrity backs each bird and Jerry Hall's bird is currently wining, but faces disqualification for not having responded to satellite transmissions for seven days.
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