Animal Awareness Days - World Lion Day - Zoo Event Review

Well, I meant to do a World Lion Day post, and obviously I still haven't.  With two Animal Awareness Days this past weekend and the Zoo actually doing something for them,  I'll post abit about Awareness Days in general, as well a review of the Zoo's Lion Day Event.

Animal Awareness Days at the SFZoo have either been non-existent or have fallen short of what they should be.  When I first started to take note and post about this, it was World Tapir Day 2012 and there was nothing on the Zoo grounds that even hinted at that.  They continued to miss such Days for Tigers, Polar Bears, and Rhinos.  In 2013, for Rhino Day, the Zoo put up a "sandwich" board, with a few notations.  That was the extent of it.

Here are a couple of the posts I've made on this blog in reference to this.

http://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2013/2/international-polar-bear-day-at-san.html

http://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2013/09/happy-world-rhino-day-finally.html

So far this year they have recognized three Animal Awareness Days with Events.  Not sure why the change, but at least they are getting with the program a bit.  

World Lion Day is August 10th.  

Screen-Cap from my blog post

With the recent increase in Lion related Offenses, I looked forward to seeing what the Zoo would put forth in the way of Education.  Their website noted there would be a Keeper Talk and Enrichment. 

There was no Educational signage, and no other Fanfare.  The Keeper came out and talked about our Lions.  There was not one word mentioned about the current plight Lions are facing.  Issues that are pushing them towards extinction.  WTF?  Why even bother to recognize an Awareness Day and not promote Awareness?  Again as I've noted many times, the Zoo falls short of its Mission to Educate.  I was hoping to hear something in regard to at least one  of the issues and nothing.  I wasn't surprised, yet at the same time,  I seriously couldn't believe there was nothing said about the massive increase in Trophy and Canned Hunting.  BIG FAIL SFZOO!

Screen-Cap from World Lion Day site

noting issues that threaten Lions

In my opinion it is a responsibility of all Animal Facilities, whether a Zoo or Sanctuary, to Educate Visitors, especially on these Awareness Days, especially if you are going to go as far as advertising it as an Event!  Taking advantage of spreading the word about issues threatening the lives of these Animals, should be a priority.  With the amount of Visitors that come through the gates, not to get the word out, is a crime.  Why our Zoo, which holds the namesake of a City famous for Environmental Awareness, continues to fall flat, I can't understand.  San Francisco Zoo Management, why are you so lame?

I will give Kudos to the Enrichment offerings.  I can't find my photos, but a large Hoofed Animal was made out of boxes by Zoo Campers (I think).  It looked great and so I had much expectation for interaction between the Lions and the Enrichment Toy.   The Keepers put out bones wrapped in paper, but didn't put food incentive in the Toy structure.  This was curious to me, as the food is the lure, the toy/item is the challenge.  They work hand in hand to make it an enriching experience.  They only put Rhino poop (a scent enrichment) on the toy.  The Lions came out, went right for the paper wrapped bones and ignored the toy structure completely.  After being involved with how a prior Keeper worked with Enrichment Toys, this was unusual.  They barely looked at the toy.  I stood there for an hour and the only interaction was Jahari spraying it.  So either they couldn't smell food, so ignored it or the lack of Toy Enrichment they have received over the past few years has been so little that they just aren't interested in toys or no longer know how to interact with them.  Sadly I think it is the later.  When they had this type of Enrichment weekly, they were very interested and interacted with it, in a what is called,"high yield" experience.  Their lack of interest made me sad and I felt like not having toys for so long, they had been ruined for the experience it provides them.

The Zoo seriously is lacking in their Enrichment efforts.  I hope to do yet another post in regards to this.  If any reader is on Facebook and is has an interest in Animal Enrichment, check out my group

Awesome Animal Enrichment

https://www.facebook.com/groups/772383782780933/

Here are some links in regard to the Plight of Lions today.

http://worldlionday.com/

http://www.cannedlion.org/

http://bucketlistlion.tumblr.com/

My Zoo Outtings Synopsis- Sunday March 2, 2014

Since I was behind and only one post during week of 2.17-2.23, I am posting synopsis of two weeks.

> March 1, 2014 - Zoo Friend Birthday Today!

Happy Birthday Trent!

(My bad, I didn't upload this on Saturday :(  Sorry Sweetie!)

> March 1, 2014 - Happy National Pig Day!

Happy National Pig Day to

My Sweet Friends Tiki and Kai!
(Kune Kune Pigs :)

About Pig Day from Wiki:  National Pig Day is an event held annually on March 1 in the United States to celebrate the pig. The holiday celebration was started in 1972 by sisters Ellen Stanley, a teacher in Lubbock, Texas, and Mary Lynne Rave of Beaufort, North Carolina. According to Rave the purpose of National Pig Day is "to accord the pig its rightful, though generally unrecognized, place as one of man's most intellectual and domesticated animals." The holiday is most often celebrated in the Midwest.

> February 27, 2014 - Happy International Polar Bear Day!

Happy International Polar Bear Day to 

My Precious Polar Girls Ulu and Pike!

International Polar Bear Day at the San Francisco Zoo...

Once again the Zoo failed to give mention to an Animal Awareness Day.  I waited til the end of the Zoo day to post this, because I knew they wouldn't disappoint me.  Sadly, its not me that I am disappointed for, but for our Polar Bears, who deserve to be Celebrated on this Day, as Ambassadors for their Wild Cousins who face quite a plight.  Part of the Zoo's Mission is to "Advance Conservation Action".  What does that mean when they don't Recognize and Educate on these Awareness Days?

> February 17, 2014 - Marabou Stork Nest Has Three Eggs!

See all the nesting action in my Video: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kqB2FxR3JQ

International Polar Bear Day at the San Francisco Zoo - NOT!

As you can tell from the title, another fail on the part of the San Francisco Zoo.  There was not a hint of Polar Bear Day recognition anywhere.  I knew there wouldn't be, but one can always hope that the Zoo Management will someday start Celebrating the Animals that live there.

I just looked up the Zoo's Mission Statement to post in full.  I could swear it used to include the word "Educate".   It reads as such:

> At the San Francisco Zoo, it's our mission to connect people with wildlife, inspire caring for nature and advance conservation action.  <

Not to sound the way this will sound (for lack of a better way to describe it) but as most of what is written on their site sounds like, this is much of the same, a bunch of words that sound wonderful but in my opinion are empty on action.

That said, regardless of whether its (still) in their statement, they do continue to tout themselves as participants in education and are an Animal facility.   So, they should be recognizing these important "Days" and doing something to educate those who visit the Zoo on these days.  I have been there not only on Polar Day, but other International/National Days in support of the plight of other threatened Animals, including Tapirs, Rhinos and Tigers.  The San Francisco Zoo has not recognized any of these days.   There was a post with a link on their Facebook page that's it.   They must think everyone visits their FB page and that's the extent of it.  Myself I only visit it once in awhile (up from never) to see what they aren't posting about.   Funny, they recently started following me on Twitter (I don't follow them) so I guess we are keeping an eye on each other lol!

I went to the Zoo, wearing a pin I made last year to celebrate our girls :)

I hung out with each of the girls for sometime, chatting with them and watching them have some fun.  Ulu was eating some food that was placed on the ledge of her enclosure, so standing up :) and Pike was playing in her pool :)  

I wished them a Happy Day :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHC9sP-118Y

A Docent came by and stood for a second, said a few words to me and then moved on.  I was already bothered about the lack of recognition and then to have a Docent there and not offer anything about the Day topped it off.  I guess she is personally not to blame, because obviously the Zoo Staff didn't inform them, and if someone is not on the internet they might not have access to such information.  That said, my consistent general thought is there are some Docents who should take a more proactive approach in what's going on, not only in the Zoo they Volunteer at, but in what's going on with Animals in general.

Why does the San Francisco Zoo not only recognize these Days, but use the opportunity to make it a visit draw?  There were other Zoo's promoting their participation in celebrating the Day, Chicago's Brookfield Zoo for one.  Check out what they had planned:

http://www.rblandmark.com/Community/Blogs/2-22-2013/Brookfield-Zoo-celebrates-International-Polar-Bear-Day-Feb.-27/

The length of all three Polar Bear exhibits was bare with information about the Day.  There were people there who could have been educated.  There are Bears that live there that deserve to be recognized as Ambassadors for their species. Their wild counterparts are facing a plight that threatens the survival of their species and yet there is nothing, there is no one, out there to bring awareness on this Day.

Why is there no one on Staff at the exhibits to Educate?  There should have been someone there.  A designated time frame, a Staff rotation, What's everyone so busy doing?  Seriously, I don't blame the Keepers or the Vets, all of whom I see always doing something.  Everyone else, the Education Staff, the Docents, Corrine MacDonald Carnivore Curator, Debbie Marin Asst Carnivore Curator, David Bocian Vice President of Animal Care, where are all these people that not one person could be out there at any given time frame to talk to Visitors?  What's the Graphics Dept doing that they can't make signage at the very least?  Where's Director Tanya Peterson?  You rarely (I'd say never but I did see her not long ago, which I'll mention in my Churro Sheep post) see her out on the property.  For someone who is supposedly the face of the Zoo where is she? She comes to the big events and cocktail parties but she's not out on the grounds.  Many have told me how former Director Manuel Mollinedo used to walk the grounds daily.  I'd like to know what she does full time, I'd like to know what all of them do full time, but I digress.  The whole lack of effort on the Management Staff in so many areas is really sad.

This and all the other Days, even choosing to make their own spotlight days, all of it would help educate people.  I'm pretty exhausted now so I'll wrap up echoing something I've said before and will say again.  More Staff on the grounds, whether its Educating people, or monitoring Misbehavior, is key to keeping Animals respected, both in Captivity (at the Zoo) and in the Wild (our Parks for one).  

 

I give the girls the news :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHC9sP-118Y

 

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

 

As with all posts,

please expand comments

for additional insight and information.

Check back as I reply to all comments.

Contact the San Francisco Zoo Director Tanya Peterson

if you want your voice heard.

tanyap@sfzoo.org

Thank You for taking the time to read

about things that matter to me.

 

Happy International Polar Bear Day - February 27, 2013

This post should have been done yesterday as THAT was International Polar Bear Day, but I thought I was going to include this photo and the following link in my next post, but as I started to write I decided on doing two separate posts.   

My Happy International Polar Bear Day 

greeting :)  Celebrating my precious

Polar Friends, Ulu and Pike!

I love you pretty girls!

Please visit Polar Bear International's website to learn more about the plight of the Polar Bear's who live in the wild.  There is also a challenge that the link will take you to.  This challenge was for yesterday, but the plight is dire and making a difference everyday would help to Save these Bears.  Thank you!

http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/save-our-sea-ice/theromostat-challenge