Petition To The Rec And Park & City Of San Francisco On Behalf Of The Bison - Please Sign

So yea, I've had enough of the dried brown landscape at the Bison Paddock.  

In yet another attempt to help the Bison get some greenery to graze on, I have started a Petition directed at the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, Parks Manager Phil Ginsburg, and Park Commission President Mark Buell.  While this may not bring about the change it should, it is another forum to bring awareness to this negligence.

It is aimed at these entities as the Rec and Park is responsible for the enclosure, while the Zoo takes care of the Bison.  

Over the last fourteen years I've been involved with monitoring the Zoo, the Rec and Park has never taken their management position in regard to the Zoo seriously, they just don't care and nothing is more evident in their lack of caring for Animals than the complete negligence in their upkeep over the last many years of the Meadow  where our grazing herd of Bison live.

This blog post is an informational supplement to the Petition.  Please visit the Petition site to sign and share.  Thank you.

link updated 1.11.24 ... 

https://www.thepetitionsite.com/361/945/132/demand-san-francisco-rec-and-park-provide-bison-with-healthy-grazing-vegetation/

I have been complaining for at least the last couple years about the condition of the landscape of the meadows at the Bison Paddock in Golden Gate Park.  The vegetation in both the main and back meadow have been dried out and brown for most of the last many years.  The only exception was in 2020 when the Park was readying for their 150th Celebration, which was pretty much foiled with the pandemic.  The City added five babies to the herd in April of that year, and you can see from this photo, the landscape was lush and green at that time.

Additionally, the Rec and Park made a site dedicated to the 150th, with several pages regarding the Bison.   I've been looking a the live cam daily monitoring for sprinklers.  Haven't seen any.  Here's a couple screencaps from the cam this week. 

This is the top of the page on the Park's 150th site.  I think it's pretty hypocritical to use the word "beloved" when you are negligent in providing them with an appropriately maintained habitat.

Apparently, I am right and the lack of grazing vegetation is so serious the Keepers seem to be putting extra hay our for them in the meadow in addition to their regular sheltered feeding area.  ... They also are not "resting" on grass as there is none!

This aerial view also appears on that site.  They need to update that as this is no longer a "green space". ... You can also see their back meadow (left side of " green area") is completely brown, and in my memory, always has been.

I had never thought about how the meadow got hydrated, until it became consistently dried up.  I asked a Keeper two years ago if there was a sprinkler system, they said they had never seen one on.  A few months later, saw one on one day.  ONE DAY!  Now, only recently after I had written yet another post about this, did I see sprinklers again.  That to was only the one day, yet I saw one outside the paddock watering the same tree, two days that week.  

It's been two years now that I have written about this situation, posted videos I've taken to my YouTube, and Tweeted it all and my displeasure to the Rec and Park.  Nothing changed in all that time.  The landscape has remained consistently dry the whole time.   This year has been the worst, as our normal rain in April-May, never happened, so there has been near no hydration to the grounds at all.

Bison are grazing Animals.  Per a recent Oakland Zoo Facebook Live with their Bison Herd.  In it the Keeper noted, "They have over fifteen acres of habitat to naturally graze on.  So when you look out you'll see there's lot of grass out here and that's really important because they are natural grazers.  So, they'd spend about nine hrs of their day out in the wild foraging and grazing, so we wanted to replicate that here at the Oakland Zoo and that's why you see so much grass and so much land, cause they do actually need all that."

Yet this is what our poor ladies are grazing on... I took this video the other day.  Picked up the wind more than I realized, but you can see the one lady looking for something to graze on.  As well seems the Keepers are also leaving bowls of grain in the meadow to supplement their diet.

https://youtu.be/7eqy-a_ZuqQ

The San Francisco Recreation and Park is well aware of all this, and apparently they just don't care.  

If they did, the Bison Paddock would be lush and green like the rest of the Park, which they make sure is green at all times.  The other day I took this photo of Lindley Meadow just up the road from the Bison.  

As a Richmond District Native, and lifelong Resident, the Park has been my backyard for 58 years.   I have never not known Bison.  In the 80's I was lucky to meet many calves that were born at the Paddock.  The last ones.  So, I have been endeared to these Beings forever.   Seeing them in this situation is very upsetting.

Again, please consider signing and sharing my Petition.

Additionally you can contact the Rec and Park Commission

recpark.commission@sfgov.org

Thank you.

For more about this disgrace, you can search "bison" in the upper left corner of this blog.

Added:

I do want to reiterate that this is a supplemental vegetation issue, that is the responsibility of the SF Rec and Park.  The Rec and Park are required to maintain the enclosure, which means keeping the vegetation healthy.  The Rec and Park control the sprinkler system.  This is solely on them. ... The Bison are healthy and well taken care of by SFZoo Animal Care Staff.  They are fed daily and given extra food to compensate for what they are not getting from grazing.  They are not going hungry.  That said, they do need that green vegetation, not only for extra intake and but because grazing is part of their natural behavior.   It's what they do and that needs to be replicated in a captive environment.

Related posts and updates...

Mon 6.27.22

https://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2022/06/update-city-official-contacted-me.html

Wed 6.29.22

https://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2022/06/park-sprinklers-flood-path-not-drop-for.html

Thurs 6.30.22

http://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2022/06/rec-and-park-responds-puts.html?m=1

Sun 7.3.22

http://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2022/07/and-furthermore-another-reponse-from.html?m=1

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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:

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

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Happy Birthday YouTube!

Yesterday YouTube celebrated its 8th Birthday :)  Have to say, YouTube is one of the greatest forums on the Internet.  Not only for Sharing, but Learning and Laughing are among other wonderful things this site can bring you.

The first video ever uploaded to YouTube was called Me at the Zoo, uploaded by one of the sites co-founders.  (Note that this article states its the San Francisco Zoo, but I have now also seen another article that says its the San Diego Zoo, which is more likely as this exhibit doesn't look familiar.)

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/04/22/youtubes-first-ever-video_n_3132177.html

I started my channel in 2009, to share videos (listed private) with friends of my new Kitten.  I now have 391 videos, with 33,871 views!  291 of the videos I've shared are of the San Francisco Zoo Friends.  You will find other Wildlife videos of Animal Friends who live at the Park and at CuriOdyssey

among other places.

My first Zoo Friend video, uploaded October 17, 2009 was of course of my Beloved Bairds Tapir Goober!  Its called "Goober Splish Splash"  featuring him playing in his pool, acting silly and goofy and having a wonderful time!  Basically being his cute, adorable self :)  I loved this guy and really miss him.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHUlqg2I3nM

My video with the most views (3,635) is called "the big cat nip" and was uploaded May, 22, 2010

It features Jahari the African Lion also acting silly and goofy while playing with Rhino scented hay.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzMPCAjSmN

Check out my YouTube Channel

for the Most SFZoo Friend Videos on the Internet!

http://www.youtube.com/user/leo811sf

Who is the San Francisco Zoo Educating?

I'm once again behind on posts I'd like to do, as thoughts swirl continuous with each Zoo visit.  

The Saturday before last, my visit was very short.  In and out within an hour.  Why?  There were just too many people for me.  That isn't the point of this, I'm glad Zoo attendance is up, hopefully that will mean extra money for the Animals. 

As I zoomed through visiting all the Friends as quickly as possible, I wondered, just Who is the Zoo Educating?

One of the Zoo's Mission Points is Education, yet beyond their advertised efforts, ZooMobile, Summer Nature Trail and Keeper Talks, the short times the ARC is open, and possibly a few others of the like, what efforts does the Zoo Staff make to Educate Visitors daily?

Many of my posts are words in regards to the Misbehavior of Visitors and the lack of Education, either by Staff/Volunteers (Docents) or in the use of more signage.  In my opinion Educating the people who visit the Zoo on how to Respect not only the Animals who live there, but Animals in general, is more important that Educating them on specific species.

I am a daily visitor to areas where Wildlife live.  With each visit, there is always someone acting the fool towards the Animals who live there.   Whether its ignorant (trying to pet a Duck in the Park) or malicious (everything else), its wrong.  

The issue of Mistreating Animals is rampant, not only locally, but globally.  

As I looked around and saw thousands of people that day at the Zoo, I was saddened that the Zoo doesn't make an effort to try and reach the people who visit the Zoo.  That would be some wide- spread outreach of Education on how to treat and share our planet with the other beings who live here.   I thought about all the people annually who could have been Educated.  Huge amount of people = huge amount of missed opportunity to make a difference.

I have posed many ideas about promoting more Education regarding Animal Respect, but there is still nothing more being done.  

This past Sunday, I noted at least six sandwich boards advertising everything from membership to liquor.  

Why can't the Zoo use sandwich boards for Educating messages?

The Oakland Zoo uses them to remind people that the Zoo is home to Animals and should be a peaceful place.  The message on many of their boards is "Quiet Please".  At the San Francisco Zoo people run all over the place screaming.  There is no quiet there, as people stand with their backs to the "Shoosh" signs.  

The San Francisco Zoo needs to adopt this way of using sandwich boards on the paths to Educate people as much as they do to sell liquor and pimp other stuff.  

Sandwich boards at the entry as well as in other areas, should read, "Respect the Animals" and "Animal Exhibits are Quiet Zones".

The San Francisco Zoo needs to step it up and start Educating people as stated in my highlighted paragraph above.  

Protect the Animals that live at our Zoo and others, while planting seeds of Respect for Animals everywhere.

Read more about misbehavior at the Zoo in several blog posts on my blog:

sanfranciscozoofails.blogspot.com

Read more about misbehavior at the Zoo in several blog posts on my blog:

stopthehurtagainstanimals.blogspot.com

Dinosaurs at the Zoo! ... there should be.

I have long thought that the older unused exhibits across from the Bairds Tapir and former Grey Seal enclosures would make a wonderful site for some Dinosaur sculptures.  The train runs right by there so it would be perfect.   Everyone loves Dinosaurs and having them peer out from there would be awesome.  It would sure be a better (cheaper) way to add something for Children than spending money on a new playground.

I went to the Conservatory of Flowers (Golden Gate Park) a couple months ago, when they first opened their current exhibit featuring Dinosaurs.  I liked it and thought the Dino's there would be great for my idea, if the Zoo could get them.  The Recreation and Park is a managing partner to the Zoo, so the connection is already there.  As well, I asked a few people there and they said that there were no current plans for the Dino's once the Conservatory exhibit was done.  I have been lax in this posting, so "current plan" may not still be the present plan, but if these Dino's were still an option, the Zoo might want to think about trying to acquire these sculptures.

Anyway, just a thought.

Read more about the Conservatory if Flowers

http://www.conservatoryofflowers.org/