Gorilla Tragedy - News Article/Video 11.21.14

Written 11.22.14 in reference to this article: ... make sure to click on the link for the video.

http://sfist.com/2014/11/21/zookeepers_and_zoo_director_shiftin.php

I visited a friend last night who I haven't had time to catch up with since Kabibe's Death.  She asked if I'd seen the video of the Zoo Director (Tanya Peterson) on KGO's site.  The video link was included in an article on sfist.  I veiwed the video and wow, she was a mess.  She could not form complete sentences, had facts wrong and was now saying that she had no knowledge of the 2010 injuries to Hasani or the ones that Monifa suffered after that.  

I also want to know why Animal injury reports are not presented at the Monthy Joint Zoo Committee Meetings?  ... That said, these meetings need a re-vamp.  The panel listens to Director Peterson, as well as other Zoo Officials and takes their word as truth.  They are rarely questioned and if they are the panel takes that as Word.  There is no checks and balances, something I noted in a 2011 letter to then San Francisco Zoological Board Chairman David Stanton, himself the President of his own very successful company.  I noted that he must have a checks and balances system in place there, why is there none at the Zoo?  The Zoo has put forth untruths about Animal Deaths and is never questioned.  There is no one to know that they aren't putting forth actual truths, because no one on the Joint Zoo Committe Panel, the San Francisco Zoological Soceity, the San Francisco Recreation and Park, (no one) monitors them.  None of those People ever go to the Zoo.  They don't know what goes on there.  They don't know the Animals.  They don't know anything.  So the nest of idiots and liars the make up Zoo Management, just do whatever they want, negligent or not and no one says anything.  Its truly disgusting how a City owned facility has been flayling in mediocrity and held together by one cover-up after another, has even gotten by for this current seven year reign.  AND its looking like it may be allowed to continue.

Bottom line, none of the People who make up the Committee Panel, Zoological Society, Recreation and Park, really care about what goes on, or they would monitor the Management Staff and what they do.  The Rec and Park doesn't care about the Animals in Golden Gate Park (but thats a whole other blog!), why would they care about the Animals at the Zoo?

I hate to sound like a broken record, but the Rec and Park needs to clean house at the Zoo.  As far as I understand, the Zoo answers to the Rec and Park as the City "office" in charge of them.  So that office it seems, has the power to make changes.  Director Peterson needs to go.  A new Director needs to be appointed that has no ties to her current Management Team.   I posted before in support of two People on the Animal Staff who I felt would be worthy to take on the role of Director.   One of those was former Penguin Keeper Anthony Brown.  His recent departure from the Zoo was a more than curious surprise and a real loss to the Zoo.  After giving 20 + years to the Zoo, its a place I know he loves and would do right by.  He not only knows the Zoo and its Animals, but has shown leadership skills before.  Something else that might be beneifical to the future of how the Zoo is run, especially if Driector Peterson is allowed to continue on, maybe there needs to be a collaborative Directorship, so, no one person can turn the job of Director into Dictator.

There are many useless people holding jobs at the Zoo.  My concern are the ones making descisions about Animal Care.  In addition to Director Peterson and her right hand man Robert Icard, who as VP certainly was aware of the safety documents.   I also take aim at Animal Care Staffer David Bocian and Primate Curator Corinne MacDonald.  Both of these Staffers hold Management positions that require them to make sure their Team of Keepers knows and follows Protocol, in addition to making sure the protocol itself is safe.  Everyone working in Animal Care has a moral obligation to making sure the Animals are safe.

They only other curious thing noted in this article is the mention of door number 4 being the door that injured Hasani in 2010 and the killed Kabibe.   As I posted in the previous post, I had read someplace that the faulty door was not the same in both instances or in that of when Monifa was injured.  Will try to research this and post definite information.  If anyone has a link to this information please post it int he comments.