Could, with alot of work, yes. Would, probably not. Should, I think they should try to. In my opinion, the San Francisco Zoo even if we are reaching back almost 45+ years, were instrumental in what has become The Gorilla Foundation, when they took an infant Gorilla named Koko from her Mother and Family, and sold her to Penny Patterson. That action had Koko living her whole life being treated as a Human, and never having the chance to be a Gorilla. They owe it to Koko and her Family to help the last Being, being held in captive isolation by TGF. It would be good Karma.
It would also be good Karma is for The Gorilla Foundation to donate whatever funds they have received from their Koko's Legacy campaign to any facility who takes Ndume. Living at TGF for 27 yrs isolated from a life with other Gorillas will probably mean he will need go through some socialization training so he can, and hopefully he can, be reintroduced into a Gorilla group. There will most definitely be additional costs for housing him through that stage. Most Zoos aren't prepared with a space to house a large animal and one with strength like a Great Ape, in an unusual situation like this, but that doesn't mean it can't be done. The AZA/SSP need to figure out who's going to do it and soon.
The San Francisco Zoo is currently renovating part of their Pachyderm to expand the Chimpanzee space and accommodate for the addition to that group. Once that is completed it will open up two additional recreation areas and a six bedroom night quarters. The current Chimp area consists of a three island moated area built in the late 60s that also housed Orangutans at one time. The triple grotto will under go a renovation in the future not only because it needs it, but because the Zoo aspires to have Orangutans again. I have only seen an old design of the proposed renovation. I have written about this before, and frankly with the lack of space to hold the Chimps for the duration of a huge project like that, and the lack of funds I imagine this project will yield, the Zoo is better off working with what they got by filling in the moat and glassing it in to make a larger yard. Using the three grottos, and an adjacent south area, it would be ideal to make it into two yards, that could be used either as one huge area or two independent areas at different times.
The above all said, in its current and upcoming state with the new Pachy area opening, it could quite possibly present a temporary area to house Ndume, if areas could be partitioned. For example, in the current triple grotto, a bedroom and use of the south grotto yard. In the Pachy, use of a bedroom and the new yard currently under construction. Of course for a time this would reduce a small area for the Chimps, but they are also gaining areas. I championed for the Chimps to get new areas and friends, so I would never suggest anything to deny them that. I just think there is a way to help an Animal in need. The SFZoo is in an ideal situation, if even a temporary one. It is geographically located to The Gorilla Foundation, for short transport and in case there was a need for their assistance, and there is already someone on staff at the SFZoo who knows and has worked with Ndume before. Additionally, there are so many people over the last 27 years that worked at TGF who were forced to leave because they morally couldn't stay there any longer. They love and miss Ndume, as they did Koko and Michael before him. I'm sure they would love to be able to see Ndume again and see that he is in a better place.
Could SFZoo be a forever home for Ndume? If he could be socialized to be with other Gorillas, no. He should be placed in a Bachelor group. SFZoo already has a Silverback and intact Family group. If he couldn't be with other Gorillas, and funds became available (there are many ideas for this to happen) to build an enclosure for him, yes, the SFZoo could provide him a home as well as any other Zoo could. I could see a new yard that would house him and small Primates built close to the the current Gorilla World. There is an area to the west, as well areas that has been cleared south of the perimeter of the GW exhibit, particularly an area of good size, that could extend to the front of the GW viewing area. It could even attach to GW via skytrail to where he could be housed in the GW night quarters with the others, if that's even possible to have two Silverbacks contained in the same area. Again, not my area of knowledge.
I know that the people at the Zoo will read this and be like she's just a crazy person with these ideas but the reality is that no matter what Zoo he goes to there's the chance that he'll need his own enclosure. Most likely in any Zoo that will mean an enclosure that is newly built. So thinking how it could work with what I know, in my corner of the world which happens to be the same corner that Ndume is in, isn't that far-fetched. Now the San Francisco Zoo is currently as I noted under construction with the Chimp renovation and then they have this huge self indulgent project that they shouldn't even be doing at this time scheduled to start within the next few months, so I'm sure they'll be like, oh we're not taking on anything else, in addition to thinking about funding because the way the San Francisco Zoo works is if donors don't want it it doesn't get done. That's why the Chimps had to wait three decades for new stuff, because shamefully, none of the Zoological Society donors wanted to help them. There's a lot coming out about the Gorilla Foundation in different forums in the wake of Koko's passing, not just by me, and for a lot of people, this is the first time anyone is hearing about it. So it's not going to be a surprise that people will want Ndume moved and whoever does take him in, will be looked at as Heroes because they'll be rescuing him from an awful situation.
So yea, my mind works quickly to problem solve. Most, will roll their eyes at my ideas, but at least I'm trying to come up with solutions using the information I have access to. The AZA/SSP and Zoo community sure don't seem to being doing anything. So maybe my ideas are far-fetched, not on any radar, and probably a fantasy, but at least I care enough to think about Ndume and his future and regardless of whether my top of the head ideas would work, maybe it will poke the AZA/SSP and their accredited Zoos, who need to put on their thinking caps and figure out who is going to help give this poor Soul a home and soon. He was dumped at TGF 27 years ago, and forgotten about. Left to languish in isolation. The AZA/SSP needs to find him a home. There are over two dozen Bachelor Groups in their Zoos, someone has got to have a place for him.
As I noted, what I've learned about Ndume, he will most likely need socialization training. What that will entail and how long that will take, is not my area of knowledge. What I do know is he needs to get out of isolation. He need to be a place where he can be with others even if they aren't Gorillas. In the past the Detroit Zoo housed Koko's half-brother Sunshine with Diana Monkeys and Mandrills. If it is determined that Ndume can't be introduced in a decent time frame or ever into a Gorilla group, maybe housing him with smaller Primate companions is an option.
Ndume's birthplace is the Cincinnati Zoo, who shipped him off to Brookfield Zoo and has seemingly washed their hands of him. It is documented in Dawn Forsythe's blog post that he was disrespectfully name called at Brookfield, something I feel is verbal abuse. (Previous sentence has been extended and clarified since original post, text and screencap below added.)
At The Gorilla Foundation he has lived in isolation and been ignored for 27 years. At 36 years old, this guy needs to live out his life in a place where people will treat him with respect and give him the chance at companionship, either with other Gorillas or Primates.
Another great option would be Zoo Atlanta. They took in another Gorilla who lived in even more severe isolation, gave him a home and a Family. Ivan the Gorilla passed away in 2012. He lived in a shopping mall as a roadside amusement, in isolation for 27 years, just like Ndume. He was rescued by Zoo Atlanta and died knowing Love and Family, 15 years later. I want the same for Ndume.
Zoo Atlanta Assistant Primate Curator Jodi Carrigan who worked with Ivan is quoted, “Just like you have your Friends, Gorillas need Gorilla Friends."
Who is going to help Ndume and when?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Related posts
http://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2018/07/the-crime-of-selling-koko.html
http://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2018/07/will-ndume-gorilla-become-gorilla_14.html
http://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2018/07/ndumes-sister-lives-at-sfzoo-blog.html
http://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2018/07/free-ndume-from-gorilla-foundation.html
It would also be good Karma is for The Gorilla Foundation to donate whatever funds they have received from their Koko's Legacy campaign to any facility who takes Ndume. Living at TGF for 27 yrs isolated from a life with other Gorillas will probably mean he will need go through some socialization training so he can, and hopefully he can, be reintroduced into a Gorilla group. There will most definitely be additional costs for housing him through that stage. Most Zoos aren't prepared with a space to house a large animal and one with strength like a Great Ape, in an unusual situation like this, but that doesn't mean it can't be done. The AZA/SSP need to figure out who's going to do it and soon.
The San Francisco Zoo is currently renovating part of their Pachyderm to expand the Chimpanzee space and accommodate for the addition to that group. Once that is completed it will open up two additional recreation areas and a six bedroom night quarters. The current Chimp area consists of a three island moated area built in the late 60s that also housed Orangutans at one time. The triple grotto will under go a renovation in the future not only because it needs it, but because the Zoo aspires to have Orangutans again. I have only seen an old design of the proposed renovation. I have written about this before, and frankly with the lack of space to hold the Chimps for the duration of a huge project like that, and the lack of funds I imagine this project will yield, the Zoo is better off working with what they got by filling in the moat and glassing it in to make a larger yard. Using the three grottos, and an adjacent south area, it would be ideal to make it into two yards, that could be used either as one huge area or two independent areas at different times.
The above all said, in its current and upcoming state with the new Pachy area opening, it could quite possibly present a temporary area to house Ndume, if areas could be partitioned. For example, in the current triple grotto, a bedroom and use of the south grotto yard. In the Pachy, use of a bedroom and the new yard currently under construction. Of course for a time this would reduce a small area for the Chimps, but they are also gaining areas. I championed for the Chimps to get new areas and friends, so I would never suggest anything to deny them that. I just think there is a way to help an Animal in need. The SFZoo is in an ideal situation, if even a temporary one. It is geographically located to The Gorilla Foundation, for short transport and in case there was a need for their assistance, and there is already someone on staff at the SFZoo who knows and has worked with Ndume before. Additionally, there are so many people over the last 27 years that worked at TGF who were forced to leave because they morally couldn't stay there any longer. They love and miss Ndume, as they did Koko and Michael before him. I'm sure they would love to be able to see Ndume again and see that he is in a better place.
Could SFZoo be a forever home for Ndume? If he could be socialized to be with other Gorillas, no. He should be placed in a Bachelor group. SFZoo already has a Silverback and intact Family group. If he couldn't be with other Gorillas, and funds became available (there are many ideas for this to happen) to build an enclosure for him, yes, the SFZoo could provide him a home as well as any other Zoo could. I could see a new yard that would house him and small Primates built close to the the current Gorilla World. There is an area to the west, as well areas that has been cleared south of the perimeter of the GW exhibit, particularly an area of good size, that could extend to the front of the GW viewing area. It could even attach to GW via skytrail to where he could be housed in the GW night quarters with the others, if that's even possible to have two Silverbacks contained in the same area. Again, not my area of knowledge.
I know that the people at the Zoo will read this and be like she's just a crazy person with these ideas but the reality is that no matter what Zoo he goes to there's the chance that he'll need his own enclosure. Most likely in any Zoo that will mean an enclosure that is newly built. So thinking how it could work with what I know, in my corner of the world which happens to be the same corner that Ndume is in, isn't that far-fetched. Now the San Francisco Zoo is currently as I noted under construction with the Chimp renovation and then they have this huge self indulgent project that they shouldn't even be doing at this time scheduled to start within the next few months, so I'm sure they'll be like, oh we're not taking on anything else, in addition to thinking about funding because the way the San Francisco Zoo works is if donors don't want it it doesn't get done. That's why the Chimps had to wait three decades for new stuff, because shamefully, none of the Zoological Society donors wanted to help them. There's a lot coming out about the Gorilla Foundation in different forums in the wake of Koko's passing, not just by me, and for a lot of people, this is the first time anyone is hearing about it. So it's not going to be a surprise that people will want Ndume moved and whoever does take him in, will be looked at as Heroes because they'll be rescuing him from an awful situation.
So yea, my mind works quickly to problem solve. Most, will roll their eyes at my ideas, but at least I'm trying to come up with solutions using the information I have access to. The AZA/SSP and Zoo community sure don't seem to being doing anything. So maybe my ideas are far-fetched, not on any radar, and probably a fantasy, but at least I care enough to think about Ndume and his future and regardless of whether my top of the head ideas would work, maybe it will poke the AZA/SSP and their accredited Zoos, who need to put on their thinking caps and figure out who is going to help give this poor Soul a home and soon. He was dumped at TGF 27 years ago, and forgotten about. Left to languish in isolation. The AZA/SSP needs to find him a home. There are over two dozen Bachelor Groups in their Zoos, someone has got to have a place for him.
As I noted, what I've learned about Ndume, he will most likely need socialization training. What that will entail and how long that will take, is not my area of knowledge. What I do know is he needs to get out of isolation. He need to be a place where he can be with others even if they aren't Gorillas. In the past the Detroit Zoo housed Koko's half-brother Sunshine with Diana Monkeys and Mandrills. If it is determined that Ndume can't be introduced in a decent time frame or ever into a Gorilla group, maybe housing him with smaller Primate companions is an option.
Sunshine Gorilla and Friends
Photos Courtesy of
Jerry J. Sieja (thank you!)
Jerry J. Sieja (thank you!)
screencap of Chimp Trainer's Daughter blog
Another great option would be Zoo Atlanta. They took in another Gorilla who lived in even more severe isolation, gave him a home and a Family. Ivan the Gorilla passed away in 2012. He lived in a shopping mall as a roadside amusement, in isolation for 27 years, just like Ndume. He was rescued by Zoo Atlanta and died knowing Love and Family, 15 years later. I want the same for Ndume.
Zoo Atlanta Assistant Primate Curator Jodi Carrigan who worked with Ivan is quoted, “Just like you have your Friends, Gorillas need Gorilla Friends."
Who is going to help Ndume and when?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Related posts
http://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2018/07/the-crime-of-selling-koko.html
http://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2018/07/will-ndume-gorilla-become-gorilla_14.html
http://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2018/07/ndumes-sister-lives-at-sfzoo-blog.html
http://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2018/07/free-ndume-from-gorilla-foundation.html
I totally agree on all you state. The SF Zoo could totally house him. It wouldnt take as much work as they might think. I just want him to be a gorilla again.
ReplyDelete@Andie ... Thank you for your comment. I apologize for the delay in reply. I never received the comment notification and was just now going over some settings and saw this. Your comment is valued, thank you for your time. ... Thank you for reading and commenting on this issue. From time to time I need to use this forum for non-sfzoo Animal issues. Ndume's situation does have relevance, with the Koko connection, and the proximity to the Gorilla Foundation. ... I agree, it wouldn't be easy, but with some thought, also wouldn't be a hard as they think. We now know its not going to happen, but was a decent idea, and at least I was trying to come up with a solution. YES! Ndume needs to be a Gorilla again and that means, living with or near other Gorillas. That will never happen at The Gorilla Foundation.
DeleteThanks for doing this. I like the "karma" suggestion. That would be the right thing to do, in memory of Koko the baby they sold and Koko's gorilla Mom Jacqueline who got nothing in the deal except a broken heart.
ReplyDelete@Johnny ... Thank you for your comment. I apologize for the delay in reply. I never received the comment notification and was just now going over some settings and saw this. Your comment is valued, thank you for your time. ... Thank you for reading and commenting on this issue. From time to time I need to use this forum for non-sfzoo Animal issues. Ndume's situation does have relevance, with the Koko connection, and the proximity to the Gorilla Foundation. ... I agree, I would love to have seen the San Francisco Zoo do something to make amends for the Crime of allowing Penny to buy Koko, which in essence paved the way for what became the Gorilla Foundation. So many years ago, no one still there that was there at that time, but still that stigma of association will be a stain on SFZoo history. Thank you for expressing compassion for Koko, her Mama Jacqueline, and her Gorilla Family. They loved her and were heartbroken. Their feelings disregarded, for greed. Self-indulgent humans robbed Koko's Family of her life with them, and robbed Koko of a life as a Gorilla, with a Gorilla Family. Its al so sad and disgusting.
DeleteI agree. Set Ndume free.
ReplyDeleteJerry J Sieja Michigan.
@Jerry ... Thank you for your comment. I apologize for the delay in reply. I never received the comment notification and was just now going over some settings and saw this. Your comment is valued, thank you for your time. ... Thank you for reading and commenting on this issue. From time to time I need to use this forum for non-sfzoo Animal issues. Ndume's situation does have relevance, with the Koko connection, and the proximity to the Gorilla Foundation. ... Thank you for your love and compassion for all Animals, especially your dedication to Gorillas! Hoping that your Friend Sunshine and his Sister Koko are watching over Ndume and everything will turn out right for him!
Delete