I've been sitting here all weekend trying to get mental ambition to tackle the posts I have in draft. The upsetting situations at the Zoo that I'm drawn to write about, continually swirl in my brain. So many words, and yet I am too often paralyzed to get them out in this forum. So, here we are, the weekend over, and the close of another Komodo Karnival at the Zoo. This screencap I've been holding since Memorial Day Event to write this up.
In putting together this post,I realized most of my thoughts have already been written in another post from January. That's right, Poor Falcor is sitting in the same situation as he was eight months ago. In a Barren Pit. Will link or paste at the end of this rant.
In putting together this post,I realized most of my thoughts have already been written in another post from January. That's right, Poor Falcor is sitting in the same situation as he was eight months ago. In a Barren Pit. Will link or paste at the end of this rant.
Does the Zoo realize that another word for Karnival is Celebration? Of course they don't , they haven't even realized (or maybe they have and just don't care) that the Donor who ReNamed him did so by dubbing him Big Daddy Language, since Bahasa literally means language. Idiots. Anyway, I digress. This poor guy is not having any kind of fun. He's got no greenery, oh excuse me, two little plants were put in last week. I haven't seen any Enrichment for him the whole time he's been there, except his first Halloween and a ball that is too big for him, several months ago. Can't they get him Dog size treat balls? Don't they google Lizard Enrichment? I have. This guy has nothing and gets nothing. Maybe he'd like to have a Komodo climbing Wall? Or this, that I found over a year ago and suggested.
Why doesn't he have Greenery? Why doesn't he have Enrichment? Why doesn't he have a home he actually fits in? < THAT is the current big question?
I'll tell you why. Its just like with the Chimps, the Zoo only cares about New and Shiny. It really pisses me off the way they have pimped him for this Event (as well have started to pimp the Chimps, but that's another post!), yet they can't even provide a proper home for him. He was supposed to get a new home within two years. He arrived in August of 2013. He has grown so big, I doubt he even fits through the hole to his back area, which is smaller than his body length. Stretched out, he is now about a third of the length of the exhibit. I took this photo the other day of him cooling off in his pond. That white square behind him is the doorway to his back area. So big now he barely fits in his pond and is forced to lay against an open drain pipe.
There are already plans to bring in New Animals, that will need New Exhibits built. This is Bullshit! They Zoo Management claims that New is needed to keep people coming in. More Bullshit. If people coming to see the New, knew that other Animals, like Falcor and the Chimps, were being neglected, most would be outraged. Many are. I listen to Visitors. The Zoo doesn't, because they don't care. It's all personal agenda for Management, and the San Francisco Zoological Society Members. I think they think the Zoo is their own big ass Country Club, where they throw Cocktail Parties, instead if a place where Animals live.
Director Peterson not only digs herself deeper and deeper into a financial hole, building things that allegedly aren't even 100% funded, but she's dragging the Animals down with her. No wonder there's no funds for Falcor or the Chimps. Its heartbreaking and disgusting.
If anything you read moves you,
Please contact the SFZoo Director
Tanya Peterson
I was going to add the link to the above referenced blog post from January, but I decided to paste it her in full to make sure its read, because this lack of attention is important to keep documenting.
I had been pissed for months about the state of Falcor the Komodo Dragon's Home. I was really enraged when I went to Zoo Lights and saw that the outside of the exhibit was fancied up with Christmas Lights, while the Komodo Dragon himself sit in a barren pit. The gall of the Zoo is shouldn't, but continues to surprise me.
Just another Disrespect of Animals by Zoo Management.
As I said, this has really bothered me for months and I was hoping since I brought it up to someone there, that the situation would change, but it hasn't. At this point its been at least four months (and I'm being generous because I've lost track) that Falcor has had not one bit of greenery in his home. This is not only Disrespectful, its possibly (I haven't researched it yet) an improper environment.
When Falcor arrived he was the "favorite son". He got a fancy new enclosure with tons of greenery. Hoopla ensued, Komodo Dragon this, Komodo Dragon that.
First they disrespect him by changing his name, a name that his previous home, the Memphis Zoo where he was born (hatched) told me he responded to. At near two years old when he arrived at the SFZoo, he was given the name Falcor soon after hatching. Named after the Dragon in the movie The Neverending Story, some dumb donor tried to be "native" I guess, using the word Bahasa which means Language, literally the word Language in Indonesian, but then also had to be an ass by adding in Big Daddy. SO the poor little guy was disrespected with the name Big Daddy Language, and par for the course, Zoo Officials could care less what anyone names an Animal as long as the check clears. Now the poor guy has been here over a year, and he sits in a home that is barren of any vegetation. The statue outside has more landscaping than he does.
Poor Falcor just sits and stares out at green.
I hear there was a change in Curators (from the one I talked to) for this string of Animals. I don't know who the new person is, but I can say this, the guy straight off isn't doing his job. If this new guy can come in and not see that this is a problem that should be a priority to fix, then he isn't qualified for this job.
Falcor is also quickly outgrowing this habitat and plans for his new home that were supposed to be in motion soon after his arrival, to be started for a move-in within two years, have been back burnered because of all the other new additions to the Zoo's collection.
I guess everyone is too busy building 2nd and 3rd tree houses for the Red Pandas who continue to be the "favorite sons", literally since only the male Kodari who they renamed (Tenzing) is the only one to get any fanfare. The male has a sign with his new name, while the female Grace doesn't doesn't have a sign. I'll also note that Grace, who is over ten years old, had her name ripped from her as well. Kodari also got a Birthday party, and Grace didn't.
Falcor is one of my fav Zoo Friends. I love this guy and feel awful that like too many others, he has been disrespected and slighted. Its Sad, Disgraceful and downright Embarrassing.
San Francisco Zoo, get this poor guy some greenery! Give him a proper environment and get started on his new home. Stop bringing in more Animals and take care of the ones you have.
I got no problem with the Zoo prioritizing building homes for Animals in need of Rescuing. My issue is, bringing in more Animals just to grow the Collection and/or try to pull in extra gate sales by doing so, is a Fail unless you take care of the ones you've already committed to giving a home to.
Please view my video taken a couple weeks ago
that shows the whole habitat.
Also, one taken shortly after his arrival
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