Family Farm Frenzy!

Once again behind in posts.  So many things to do both on blog and off.   I have made space holders for posts since I like things in chronilogical order.  This is the post I have in me to do right now.  Its current and contains things that are in desperate need of attention at the Zoo.  

I will start by noting there are many posts within this blog where you can find details of Humans Gone Wild.  I know that sounds comical and sure its meant to be catchy, but it also is point blank.  When I walk into the Zoo I feel like I have entered a place where people are allowed to run wild.   I look around and see people out of control.  There seems to be few places in Society where Humans have any sense of personal control, or empathy.  The Zoo is no different.  There is very little guidelines given for behavior or respect.  I can not say none, because I have witnessed Security giving speeches to school groups as they enter.  Sadly I have also witnessed the same school groups act the fool while in the Zoo, even the adult leaders.  That said, these speeches are still needed, and the Zoo should be giving these same speeches to ALL that enter, not just school groups.  I won't say more on this because I have before written much about misbehavior and what things the Zoo should being doing to deter. Search "barrier breaching" and other "misbehavior" within this blog.

This post is isolated to the Childrens Zoo Family Farm.  This past week was out of control.  In March I noted in a post about misbehavin' :

> Additionally, there needs to be some at-a-glance (BIG lettered) signage at the Family Farm entrance, telling people not to bring in food, not to feed the animals anything but food they sell there, not to bring in any plastic bags to hold the food in or have hanging out of pockets/purses, not to sit on the animals, not to pull on their horns, not to chase the animals.  Good Grief I have recently and constantly seen people do all these things, which included an adult try to sit on a Dwarf Goat, put a Lollipop w/stick in a Goats mouth, and watch a Sheep throw up a plastic baggie. <

Such instances are an every visit occurrence.   With summer in full swing its only worse.  The Zoo needs to take notice!   Zoo Management is fine with people running wild all over the place and while it is annoying and may only be "potentially dangerous to the?"  Animals in the Main Zoo, there is DIRECT ANIMAL ABUSE at the Farm.  These are free roaming Animals.  They are vulnerable to Humans.  The above instances I noted of people sitting on Animals and feeding them unauthorized food, as well bringing in dangerous items like plastic bags, is not only abuse, it can cause the death of one of these Animals.  I have also witnessed the Animals being hit and a constant stream of trying to steer the Goats Horns.

There needs to be more signs not to do these things.  There needs to be a Volunteer or Docents at the gate reminding people who enter the Farm.  There needs to be more Volunteers/Docents monitoring the yard.   It can not be left up to the Keepers.  The Keepers job is to take care of the Animals. It also can't be left to one Keeper to Volunteer to monitor two yards and two barns.   Monitoring the Visitors should be part of what the Docents help doing, both at the Childrens Zoo and the main Zoo.  I never see Docents at the Farm.  Why isn't there a better organizing of what they do?  ... That all said, there needs to be a limit to the number of people who can be at the Farm at one time.   Too many people for the amount of eyes watching the Animals should not be happening.

There is a sign when you enter the CZ:

This rule is never upheld. 

NEVER!  

Monday I was at the Farm.  It was fine til a large group of kids from the Telegraph Hill Neighborhood Center came in.  They appeared to have only two leaders.  The frenzy then began and it was a sea of chaos in purple shirts.  Really awful and out of control.  There was no supervision from their leaders. The kids were running and screaming all over the place.  They were making fun of the Animals, yelling at them, it was really disgusting.  Why do they even come to the Zoo?   

Does the Zoo send out a guideline for behavior in writing to these groups prior to their Visit?  They should.  Does the Zoo provide them with a guideline in person when they arrive? They should.  Does the Zoo ask them to leave if they are misbehaving?  They should.  None of this behavior, which is not isoloated to this one group, should be allowed. 

My friend put several dollars into the food machine and these kids came up and took her food.   There was a point when they were so out of control, the Keeper had to put the food machines away.   I contemplated leaving but stayed as extra eyes.   There was a particular gang of four that made fun of a few certain Goats and in fact stalked them when they tried to seek refuge into the barn.  Finally after 45 minutes of this I said something to them.   Disrupting my right to enjoy my Visit, I asked them, "What's wrong with you?"   Telling them that they were one of the worst behaved kids I have ever seen and why don't they enjoy the Animals and learn about them, rather than run all over the place screaming and making fun of them.  They were silent after that, but seriously, what is wrong people who behave this way?  I see it in adults as well, so I guess there is no hope for society in general if adults act this way and therefore do not teach kids to act any better.  That said, when they come to a facility like the Zoo it is then up to the Zoo to set behavior guidelines.  Anyway,  I finally alerted the leader, who was sitting on a stump ignoring the behavior going on, even after being told by the Keeper in duty that the kids were wreaking havoc, he still wasn't monitoring them.   I get kids run around and yell and all that, but this is not the place for it.  This is a place where Animals are free roaming and where they live.   Its not a friggin' Fun House.  Visitors need to reign in the frenzy and learn to act appropriately in public.  Places like this should be somewhat of a controlled environment, so all Visitors have a good time.  I am not the only person there who was appalled and upset by this behavior.

That incident, which I've witnessed similar many times, really affected me.  Not that the Zoo cares at all about me, but I left there really hyped up and immediately felt anxious and nausea, which I haven't been able to shake all week.  Just writing about this I can feel a physical upset.  

When I visited on Thursday, there were no school groups at the time, but there was limited eyes on the crowd and I found this on the ground.  

Baggie of Raisins

I see alot of stuff at the Zoo, everytime I'm there.  I sometimes feel like I'm guided to be in that place at specific times.   While that thought might be alittle too spiritual for some, it is true that I seem to be witness to things for a reason.   Thankfully I was there to see this before one of the Animals got it.  People don't need to bring in unsecured snack bags or other items that can cause harm tot he Animals.  A sign needs to be posted that says to keep them secured in purses, zip pockets, whatever but not where they can fall to ground or an Animal can snatch from hand or pocket.   If your kid needs treats that bad eat them before or after visiting the Farm.  ... This also goes hand in hand with feeding the Animals anything other than the Zoo treats for purchase.   I heard that the day before on Free Day (another Run Wild at the Zoo event) was out of control with people trying to give the Animals unauthorized food.   

San Francisco Zoo, take note and protect these free roaming Animals at the Family Farm.  

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

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

Breaching Barriers at the San Francisco Zoo

Even in the wake of the tragedy of a Mother dropping her kid into an Animal exhibit at the Pittsburgh Zoo, our Zoo as usual continues Status Quo.   

I heard there were going to be additional signs put up about crossing barriers, but two weeks later, that has yet to be seen.   This is no surprise as the things the Zoo chooses to do for the most part are always curious.

I have been writing about Visitor misbehavior in my blogs for over a year, yet there have been no changes at the Zoo. 

http://sanfranciscozoofails.blogspot.com/2011/05/zoo-management-lets-visitors-abuse.html

http://sanfranciscozoofails.blogspot.com/2011/10/uproar-in-lion-house.html

http://sanfranciscozoofails.blogspot.com/2011/09/visitor-dangles-arms-in-lion-enclosure.html

I have not only blogged about this issue, but as far back as 2009 when I had an open email correspondence with the San Francisco Zoo Director Tanya Peterson, I made two significant suggestions.  One was instilled immediately (Winter hours), the other (more signage at Gorillas) has been in slight only recently at the suggestion of the Zoo's new hire of a "Visionist" for Animal Wellness.   

After the Tiger event of 2007, which took place near closing time on Christmas Day, with each time change I wondered, why is the Zoo still open til 5p?  Why are Visitors allowed to wander around the Zoo in the dark?   I found it extremely curious with a Team of supposed Zoo "professionals" that no one had thought this was a bad idea.  Clearly no one working at or connected with the San Francisco Zoo (San Francisco Zoological Society San Francisco Rec and Park), THOUGHT about this at all.  

In 2009, A man breached the barrier at Grizzly Bears.  This was in the later part of the day,  there was no Security in the area, and if our Grizzly Girls had not backed off this Human, they would have lost their lives.  I was sickened at this possibility and emailed Director Peterson immediately.  Along with stating the obvious in regards to Security, ect, I asked two questions.  Why is the Zoo open til 5p when its dark?   Are you waiting for another Tiger event?   I closed by suggesting the Zoo change its hours during the Winter and close at 4p. A few days later at the monthly Joint Zoo Committee Meeting Director Peterson proposed this exact time change to the Commission.  Winter hours started that year.  ... As I say in many instances, who's running the Zoo?  Oh yeah, me.  I should be.  Seriously, why did it take me to suggest this?  

After the Grizzly Bear incident the Zoo posted additional Security for about a week.  It was ridiculous as they had one Guard staring into the Grizzlies for days.  That said, after that week, there has not been any regular Security patrol at the Bears or any other area in the Zoo.  There is no additional signage.  There is no additional education.  There is nothing to help deter misbehavior towards the Animals.  Making this a priority in some cases like barrier breaching, would also prevent tragedies in which one of our precious Zoo Friends or that of the Human involved, could lose their life.

After the Tiger event of 2007, the Zoo was forced to make changes to the Big Cat Grottos, to keep the Animals in.  I can tell you one thing, I have never seen an Animal try to cross the barrier of an enclosure.  What I see every visit is a Human crossing the barrier of Animal enclosures.  Why is keeping Humans on the Visitor side of enclosures not as important as keeping Animals on the Animal side?  In the wake of all these events, why are exhibits (not only at SFZoo) allowed to be open aired between the Visitors and the Animals? 

Of course, having natural open aired exhibits is the "modern" (and ideal) way, but as society has also grown with the times, so has stupidity and evilness.   There needs to be a new way to showcase Animals without all Beings, being vulnerable.

I guess spending money on a new playground trumps not only updating Animals living spaces, but also keeping them and stupid humans safe.

Does the San Francisco Zoo Management not realize that the Zoo will not survive another tragedy?   

In the past two Visits (four days) I have seen Visitors dangle their kids over the barriers at the Hippo, Black Rhino, and Patas Monkey.

 @ Hippo

@ Rhino  

@Patas Monkey

& Continued breaching and disrespect @Anteater 

Granted I present my opinions on this barrier issue from the Safety side of both Animal and Human, I'm sure everyone who reads anything I write knows my concern will always be exclusively for the Animals.  That may sound awful, but I think in everything, they are never the priority.   Captive Animals especially, are at the mercy of Humans, yet the Humans who visit these captive Animals are at the mercy of themselves.  

That said, regardless of the incident at the Pittsburgh Zoo two weeks ago,  why do Humans think this behavior is acceptable at the homes of these Animals?   Whether or not an Animal is considered dangerous or not, this is disrespectful.  Would Humans like someone (or a wild animal for that matter) dangling their legs through a window in their home?   Disrespect aside, for this to even happen post Tatiana (Tiger event of 2007)  in any Zoo, is curious at best.   Did any of these people hear about the Pittsburgh Zoo incident?  Do they think that can't happen to them?  I'm sure the mother of the kid that she dropped into the Wild Dog enclosure didn't think that would happen.  Good Grief, is all sense disappearing?   I just don't get it.  I don't get the thought process of people.  

That said, what is the thought process of Zoo's like our San Francisco Zoo?  Why are Visitors allowed to behave this way?  Why is there no deterrent in the way of more signs, better barriers  more Security or Staff presence?   These downfalls lay solely within bad Management and with that irresponsible decision making and priorities.