Zoo Director Continues To Make Fools Of City Officials

Another day, another article.  

Last evening I was exhausted.  I sat down, turned on my tablet and a friend had sent me an email with the new article.  

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/san-francisco-auditors-blast-uncooperative-20359328.php

I read it, except for the fourteen page document.  Made some notes with the intention of making a short post, but dozed off before that happened.

I was told over a month ago that Tanya (Peterson, Zoo Director) was refusing to hand over all the necessary documents requested by the Auditors. It's now being made public, with specific details outlined in this article.  

I ended up reading the fourteen page document at 2a.  I still have my list for the Audit Team in draft.   Unfortunately I learned that some things on it would be considered "out of the scope" time wise.   The one thing on my list that I've posted about many times, and will never let go of, is questioning, What happened to the $250,000 donation that came with the Squirrel Monkeys when they arrived? That money was specifically for a home to be built for this group that was retired from Laboratory use.  Shameful that never happened. It was probably misappropriated and used to build Tanya's tiki hut above Mandrills, while some of the Squirrel Monkeys ended up being housed in a concrete room with no outdoor access.  That is not the retirement home they were promised.  It's Heartbreaking and Disgusting.

Among the documents, this was the stand-out...

This clearly shows how Tanya has completely disregarded Staff concerns from day one of her seventeen years at the helm of Our Zoo.  Especially concerning is that the Staff referenced were most likely Animal Care Staff.   This also shows that the Joint Zoo Committee Meeting Minutes are severely lacking in documentation.   

I have experienced myself and Staffers speak at Meetings, only to not have our words entered into the Minutes. I have repeatedly requested the RecPark to either include the Joint Zoo Meeting in their video recorded programming, or at the very least an audio version of the entire Meeting.  This has not happened.   There is also no reason the Zoo itself cannot record the Meetings either video or audio.  There are many Members of the Public, and Staff Members who can not make the Meetings, and should be allowed access to the proceedings.  Maybe the RecPark can mandate that of the Zoo.

In addition to detailed Audit requests, an auditor was quoted. I condensed it a bit but still included quotations as wording is still intact.

"In a meeting between the audit team and Peterson at the zoo, which was supposed to be a time for the auditors to go over the process and detail which documents they needed, Peterson, disregarded our meeting agenda and provided a lengthy history of the zoo.  After over 90 minutes, I interjected so that we could discuss our agenda items at which point she informed us that zoo management would not be cooperating with the audit until further notice."

This scene is not surprising.  Tanya manipulates situations and conversations with illusion and/or deflection, to create her own narrative or avoid it, depending on the outcome she wants.  I've come to realize she's basically a con-artist.

My take away is much like I noted in my last post regarding Monday's article, "Zoo Director Running Circles Around City Officials".  

City Officials with Authority to Remove Tanya as Director, are allowing her to make Fools of them.  

She has not altered her behavior at all.  She boldly continues to do whatever she wants, with NO repercussions.  With each day, she is allowed to remain in position, she adds another notch in her win belt.

How much more definace and destruction will the RecPark Commissioners, Park Manager Phil Ginsburg, and City Mayor Daniel Lurie allow from her?

Related Post:

https://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2025/06/zoo-director-running-circles-around.html

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Blogger's Statement

"Personal Opinions and Facts presented publicly are Not against the law or any rules. ... Censorship and Retaliation Actions in an attempt at Suppression are frowned upon by Healthy Societies."

For Full Statement see this post:

*Zoo Director Running Circles Around City Officials  

https://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2018/09/my-zoo-status.html

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I used to use (search) labels, but too often forget.  I started noting "Hot Topic" in title, but fell lax on that.  Now I'm just going to add labels, keywords, etc., here at the bottom with hashtags.  Does it help in searches, who knows. 

#SanFrancisco , #SanFranciscoZoo , #Zoos #SanFranciscoZoologicalSociety , #SanFranciscoZooDirectorTanyaPeterson , #SanFranciscoRecreationAndParksDept , #SanFranciscoMayorLondonBreed ,

#SanFranciscoMayorDanielLurie

#AssociationOfZoosAndAquariums , #AZA , #SpeciesSurvivalPlan , #SSP , #Animals , #Wildlife , #Nature , #AnimalWelfare , #AnimalCruelty , #AndeanBear , #KomodoDragon , #Chimpanzees ,  #PatasMonkey , #Fossa , #Orangutans , #Barriers , #PerimeterFence, #Pandas #Bison