Respect The Animals Signage Taken Down! - Who Thought This Was A Good Idea?

Updated: Fifteen years doing this blog, and this is a first.  As I was proofreading this in draft last night, I was dozing off.  I hit publish and not long after I was out.  When I woke at 4a, I immediately felt like there was something I should have done before posting.  Even though there were a couple dozen views I reverted this post to draft.  The added content will be highlighted at the end.  Apologies to anyone who is now reading this twice.  But I feel better about it.

Well, here I am again.  And the only reason, is because the action of removing these signs, puts Our Animals in danger.   These signs could save lives, so I have no choice but to document this.

I would have never thought signage like this would be removed, as we in fact, need even more.   

This was the only photo I had already on the blog of the sign I'm referencing. Since taken at an angle to show how it evolved to include multi-lingual message, below is the wording, as it might be hard to read.

Respect the Animals 

The magnificent animals in the Zoo

are wild and possess all their natural instincts.

You are a guest in their home. 

PLEASE don't tap on the glass, cross barriers,

throw anything into exhibits, make excessive noise,

tease or call out to them.

Please call (415) 753-7069 or

notify an employee immediately

to report misbehavior.

Is this messaging somehow considered no longer needed?

Whoever decided to do this should not be working in an Animal Care facility.   

Removing important messaging like what is on these signs, is not only not smart, it's Reckless.

The sign below was the first incarnation.  Installed after the Tiger event in 2007.  This messaging has been in place almost twenty years.   

While many people do not read signs, they are still important.  Especially at Our Zoo, where I see misbehavior every visit.  I spent over a decade documenting the breachable barriers at Bears and Black Rhino, that have still never been made to discourage people from hanging their kids over the barriers.  This is the biggest offense, because it could end with a bullet to the head of one of Our Animals.  

I was told they were taken down by management. So I have to ask, WHY?  If anyone knows why, please let me know.  Did this come from the top? Regardless, the person at the top, should not have allowed this to happen, and if it was their idea, they clearly Do Not get the importance of keeping Our Animals safe.

This is very upsetting.

Update:  So, the thing that was bothering me was that I only checked half the property.  Even though I did ask somebody I trust about it, I like to double confirm by seeing things with my own eyes.  And while I saw half the property, the chance that there could have been a stray one left somewhere was bugging me.  I took another walk today and checked a few of the enclosures that I remembered had those signs, and there were none.   At one of those places there was a Keeper and I asked, "There was a sign here right?".  It was confirmed and without me saying anything further, they continued and said, "It was taken down because the phone number needed to be changed".   

Now, there's a possible reason, whereas before the impression was they were not being replaced. That said, it doesn't even matter.  These signs are important.  In my opinion, they are so important to keeping Our Animals safe, that they should not have been removed for even one hour of time that the Zoo is open.  And, by some accounts, allegedly the signs have been gone for a couple of months.  

If they are being redone to change the phone number, they should not have been taken down until the new one was put up. They could have done one of several simple things to temporarily add the new phone number on there.   Additionally if that is the only thing that needed to be changed any sign company could have made a little adhesive plate in the same coloring that would have fit right over the phone number.  They didn't need to spend money to replace the whole thing and have it out of commission.

Leaving Our Animals safety at risk, is Unacceptable.