Bid Farewell To Akobi - Our Pygmy Hippo Is Leaving

Let me just start by adding on to the post title a bit...

Bid Farewell To Akobi - Our Pygmy Hippo Is Leaving ... What the Serious F%%k!!!???

So, per usual when I go off course with my current post list, I constantly rework it for flow, as I always try to get back on track with some order if possible.  That said, once again I didn't even get to pick back up with even one draft post, before something else presented itself.  

I've said before that I usually don't look at the Zoo's Social Media regularly, unless I'm looking to see if they posted something specific.  Same goes for the Joint Zoo Committee Meeting Minutes, which are monthly and sometimes I go a few months without checking that.  With both, it's just a thing where there is always something that's going to bother or upset me, and I got enough without going looking for it.

So, now for getting into the title of this post.

I've been sitting on this for a week now. Last Saturday, I remembered the Joint Zoo Meeting was the Thursday before, so I thought I'd take a look.  There it was, 1.0 (meaning one male) Donation to Houston Zoo.  I was shocked.  Even though upsetting, I'm glad I did, otherwise I may never have known about Akobi, and would have went there one day and he would have been gone.  

I feel bad for all of us who love this guy, but most of all for him.  This was his first home away from his Mother, and he seems happy.  

Akobi coming to sat Hi! 

screencap from video linked below

https://m.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwAR3jcEl1Elwwqm_eTNfCcqVrVUYHKoRCGslEaqOLYFn6N0tlK-HlizsyP7A&v=nTRMjDTho6w&feature=youtu.be

The Animal Care team did a good job renovating the enclosure for him, even adding to it after his arrival.  As well, modifications were made to the night quarters as Pygmy Hippos have different needs than Nile Hippos.  Will this be the end of Pygmy Hippos occupying this enclosure?  Akobi is popular and not having him (or another Pygmy Hippo) here is big hit to the Zoo.  Hopefully the Zoo doesn't go ahead with a previous plan to demolish this area, because that would be a really bad call to not use this enclosure, and another waste of money, doing one thing, then changing it not long after.  

I waited to write a post about this because I wanted to confirm it verbally with someone there.  I was 99.9% sure this meant Akobi, but just in case, I like to be as sure as possible when I'm documenting something.  There are times, and coincidentially one listed right after this Akobi entry, where transfers for Black Rhinos (or other Animals SFZoo owns that are not part of the onsite collection) are listed and it's just paperwork. I knew this couldn't be the case, because we don't own any Pygmy Hippos in other Zoos.  So, I visited the Zoo on Tuesday, and my inquiry in regards to Akobi leaving was curious.  Usually I can ask a question and get an answer, but literally four people quickly said, "I don't know anything".  When I added that we don't own other Pygmys, one said, "There's your answer".  That's essentially giving me the answer without actually telling me, which leads me to believe, staff has been told not to talk about it, or not to talk about it to me.  The fifth person I mentioned it to, said, "I heard something about that".  

So, while it is sadly indeed true, I do not know when, or why.  I can speculate on why, but don't think I'll be confirming it, since no one is even talking about him leaving.  I was told Akobi is high on the genetically valuable list for breeding, and that is the only thing I can think of that would be a factor.  When he first came here, I was told that at some point a female would be joining him.  Considering that, I am assuming that SF does not want to breed him, so maybe he is going to where a female will join him.  It wouldn't be the first time we lost an Animal because of breeding conflict.  Again I'm just speculating, but it's worth the lead-in to documenting the whole non-breeding issue.

Like with Akobi, who was brought here as permanent resident, I thought when our Tiger Jillian came back to SF to be paired with a male (Teddy eventually transferred here) for breeding, they too would be permanent residents.  Then we lost both Tigers back to San Diego who owned Teddy.  This allegedly happened because San Francisco Zoo Director Tanya Peterson allegedly will not breed any Animal that might result in a birth that will require round-the-clock care if it is rejected by the Mother.  You may wonder why, as other Zoo's hand rear infants.  Allegedly Director Peterson will not pay for after hours care.  That point lends to the fact I have continually presented, Our San Francisco Zoo has been mismanged by Director Peterson through-out her sixteen years at the helm.  No money for any Animal related need, but we got gardens galore, and art installations keep on coming.   

Since I got a Panda post in draft as well, it's worth it to note that part of the agreement with China for acquiring Pandas is that they breed.  So, that makes me wonder how that would then come into play?  Would Director Peterson create yet another illusion and lead them to believe she would allow them to breed, or would they get a pass on the alleged no breeding issue?  Or would millions be spent to get them here, only to have them repossessed?

Another example of no breeding is with Gorillas.  In late 2019 female Kimani was transferred to the Zoo to breed with male Oscar Jonesy.  Jonsey bred with two first-time Mothers, resulting in two offspring, both who had to be hand-reared until a surrogate could take over.  Both our resident female Monifa and Kimani have breeding reccomendations with Jonesy.  Kimani was supposed to breed first, as she came from a Gorilla group where she witnessed births and mother raised babies.  It was hoped she would do the same and that would show Monifa how it's done.  It's been almost five years and this still has not happened.  Jonesy will turn 43 this year.  

Also note that the Orangutans have and I think still do, a breeding recommendation.  Nothing yet and last I heard the female was still on birth control.  That all said, while I'd be over-joyed to experience a babie Orangutan, I personally don't think they should bring a babie into the situation that is, that shit show, ancient, enclosure they were thrown into.  It needs a complete overhaul to provide a new life an appropriate home.  They've already damaged the personalities of Ollie and Amoi, hope they don't bring a babie into it.

I digressed a bit about the no breeding issue, but let's get back to the lack of transparency issue, specifically about Animal transfers.  Since the Zoo is owned by the City, it is responcible for certain transparencies.  Even though Acquistions and Dispositions need to be documented publicly in the Joint Zoo Minutes,  that often doesn't happen until after the the transfer, and the Zoo does not let the public know anything via their Social Media platforms.  Which in my opinion is a huge disservice to Visitors who are endeared to the Animals.  Before I expand on that, I want to make a notation that will support a future post about how the the Zoo management system works and the Pyramid of Power.  All Acquistions are supposed to be approved by the Joint Zoo Committee.  In my opinion, that is all paper pushing, as no managing entity really cares about what goes on at the Zoo.  The whole Orangutan situation has singularly made that clear.  And in relation to the Joint Zoo approval, the female Orangutan arrived at the Zoo, before her acquistion item was even introduced to the Joint Zoo Committee.

So, transparency.  Let's start with another Hippo, our Nile Hippo Tucker.  The Zoo knew about his transfer over a year before him actually leaving.  At no point did they alert the public.  It wasn't until he was gone and Cinncinati anounced his arrival did they post a sign at his enclosure.  In my opinion, that was a COMPLETE mismanagement of his departure.  Tucker was extremely popular. He had a huge fan club among visitors.  Many Zoo's will post about their Animals moving to another Zoo, giving their fans a chance to come and see them before they leave.  Some have even have going away parties.  When Tucker left Topeka, they had a party.  Not San Francisco Zoo.  You become endeared to an Animal, and you go there and one day they are gone.  I've mentioned the lack of Community for our Zoo, meaning there has never been an effort to build a community that cares.  Having a community that cares, lends to people being invested in our Animals.  Creating an enviroment that endears people to our animals, gives them the opportunity to learn more, feel more, care more.  It also leads to more Visitors, more Members and productive fundraising.  A win for everyone.  Our Zoo has none of that.  The individuals that are invested and endeared, have had to seek out information to feed their interest.

So, like with Tucker, there have been many residents before him that just disappeared, who have had their fans upset.  A big one for me, was the departure of Slider the Cow.  I have a stand-alone post about that in draft.  Before him, my little Turaco Friend Zabebu, was sent away.  Usually I get wind of these things, but with both of them, I didn't know.  I have a friend who's a Member, who five years later is still upset that Hasani the Gorilla is no longer here, but at least I knew and she was able to visit him before he left.  The Zoo didn't announce it at all and that was a huge mistake.  He was born here, and hand-reared, so he was in the News, and had alot of fans.  Going back a bit further, when Director Peterson was going to kick out our senior Chimpanzees, she was trying to do so without anyone knowing.  The Zoo's longest residents, having lived here near fifty years, and she was just going to ship them out in the dead of the night, without telling anyone.  It's Disgraceful, and very rude to every Visitor and Member, to not alert and allow for people to know what's happening, especially if its an Animal they'd like to see before it leaves.  My guess would be she doesn't feel like she has to, but a good and decent "manager" would want to.  The disappearances are not even all transfers to other Zoos, but taken off public view and never to be seen again.  There have been many.  I've been attached to three Snow Leopards, Ming Wah, Rigel, and Niya who were taken off view and retired to the off exhibit area FCC, never to be seen again.  Most recently the Great Hornbill Hercules, who has been my first stop of the visit for over a decade, was taken off view.  I can hear him talking from FCC behind Black Rhinos, but who knows if I will ever see him again.  These are all just a few of my personal accounts,  I'm sure everyone who visits regularly has their own sad stories.

So, the goal of this post was to alert everyone to Akobi's upcoming departure.  If you're endeared to him, be sure to visit as who knows when he will disappear. 

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