An animal surveillance device for detecting stationary objects in a poultry house comprises a noncontact scanner adapted to emit electromagnetic radiation in a scanner and to receive a reflection of the electromagnetic radiation and an electronic evaluation unit which is in signal communication with the scanner and adapted to evaluate the signals received from the scanner. The scanner includes at least one scanner unit comprising a transmitter for transmitting an electromagnetic scanning beam in a predetermined direction and a receiver for receiving a reflection of the scanning beam from the predetermined direction. The evaluation unit is configured to calculate a transit time signal from the reception of a reflected signal emitted from the scanner unit and from the transit time of the signal and to produce a transit time profile for the scanner unit from the transit time signal received over a period.