An automatic tracking apparatus includes: an image pickup apparatus having zoom function; camera platform driving the image pickup apparatus in at least one of pan and tilt directions, and automaically tracking an object by operating the image pickup apparatus and camera platform; unit for detecting a position of the object in picked-up image information; prohibition area setting unit for setting tracking prohibition area, according to information on the automatic tracking apparatus that includes information on the object including information on at least one of type, orientation and traveling speed of the object, or information on at least one of pan and tilt positions of the camera platform and zoom position; and controller that does not perform tracking operation in the prohibition area, and performs zooming, panning and tilting to perform the tracking operation when out of the prohibition area.