HOT TOPIC! - Barrier Abuse at Bear Cubs Continues - Why? ... Update.

Hope everyone is having a Wonderful Holiday.   I wanted to post this by yesterday but didn't get the chance.  I have a post done for today, but this one needed to be posted first.  So, I take a bit of time this Christmas morning to finish it up and post.  One of the best things I can do for the Holidays is to finish all the posts that I have in draft, a gift to my Animal Friends, who when I don't post, I feel I let I let down.  I have long felt and it seems to be accurate, that I am one of the only ones, if not the only one, outside the walls, that is a voice for the Animals.  I'm not saying that to be pompous, but its the truth.  This blog is the only place you are going to hear about Zoo issues.  Its been a weight on me, six years now, but I do it for the Animals.  I don't want to, I don't like to, it often makes me physically sick, but my passion for their well being forces me to.  Anyone who thinks I have another agenda, doesn't know me and more important doesn't care about the Animals.

So, unfortunately I've had to write too many posts already on the subject of Barrier Abuse.  More than a few about the enclosure at Bears that was once home to the Andean Bears, then Polar Bear, and now Black Bear Cubs.  The barrier at this enclosure has been an issue point as long as I can remember.  Let me bring up the incident at Grizzly Bears in 2009.  This same type barrier, that runs along both Bear grotto enclosures, was breached by a man who entered the exhibit.  The end result was the Zoo's Target Team pointing rifle's after the Bears with shoot to kill orders if either of the Bears made aggressive moves toward the man.  Thankfully our Bears knew better and went to their night quarters when called.  They could have easily lost their lives.  That would have been on the Zoo for not having secure barriers or proper staffing monitoring the enclosures that are vulnerable.  

Hopefully I don't repeat myself too much from what I've written in previous posts, but I do also like to have each post as a stand alone, so sometimes its unavoidable.  That said, let me lay out the situation very siimple.  There are two ways someone can end up in an Animal enclosure, Voluntarily or Accidentially.  Both ways result in the Animals vulnerable to losing their lives for reacting naturally to a foreign object in their home.  Guns will come out, and Animals will be shot.

Someone entering an enclosure Voluntarily is something that happens rarely.  Unless enclosures are enclosed in glass, they are not going to prevent these situations, perpetrated by sinister minds.  We'd all like to see open air exhibits, but the truth is, these days, its a gamble each day whether the Animals will be safe.  In my opinion if you put Human lives above Animals, and that's the priority in the Zoo world, then all Code Red Animals should have fool proof barriers. ... Someone entering an enclosure Accidentally is something that happens multiple times a day.  These accidents are preventable with simple deterrents both ON the barriers, in signage, with verbal instruction by staff, and with serious reprimands (ejections).  Each one of these deterrents are not being put forth at the San Francisco Zoo.  ... The SFZoo will never glass in all Code Red exhibits, to prevent voluntary entry, but at the very least they can do something about preventing accidental entry.

In recent years, for varied catalysts, some physical improvements to barriers have been made.  The Anteater and Bobcat barriers finally got a jagged bamboo addition to prevent people from themselves or more often their kids, standing on or sitting hanging over the barriers.  This as simple as it is, I think is the best alternative to glassing in the enclosures, that I've seen so far.  I started blogging about the Anteater barrier issue years before they put this in.  Only when their AZA accreditation inspection was impending was something done.  ... I blogged about the breachable points of entry at Chimps years before anything there was done.  Only after a kid fell into the Gorilla enclosure at Cincinnati Zoo, that resulted in the death of their Gorilla Harambe was anything done at our Zoo.  Barriers at Chimps and Gorillas were reinforced and extended, apparently to avoid any copy cat type situations? There were some points to fix, but they were not the most vulnerable.  ... Next up the most recent barrier addition has been to the Asian Rhino.  A ridiculous metal strip was added to the barrier railing to prevent? people from sitting on it.  It was flat and posed no discomfort, so did absolutely nothing.  Now, there's not really an accidental entry threat, so adding the same type of barrier as at Anteater would have been the better option.  Curiously, they recently added an eye-sore barrier that I can't figure out and is frankly seemingly ridiculous as well.  Huge poles with metal wiring across it.  People still stand and sit on the barrier.  It looks bad and the same achievement could have been met with the jagged bamboo. ... A metal addition was also put at Hippo, that again did nothing to deter.  Hippo is a major hot spot for people hanging their kids over barriers, but at least there is a secondary barrier, to keep the Hippo in.  That doesn't mean its not a vulnerable spot, but it would take a bit of extra effort and rolling on a kids part to make it in, but it could definitely happen! The neighboring Black Rhino is another story.  I've endless posted photos about the barrier abuse there and nothing has been done.  There is no secondary barrier, if a kid falls over, one bounce and they are in the enclosure.  The same type of barrier is at Bears.

Anteater

New at Asian Rhino

Ugh

Constant calling attention to the barriers at Hippo, Black Rhino, and Bears, has done nothing.  Why is that?  The Zoo Management reads this blog.  Are they resistant to do anything because its me pointing these things out?  Selfish. OR  Do they really think that there is no threat to their Animals?  Stupid.  This is a real problem.

This past year I started tweeting photos of people over barriers as I saw them, both to the Zoo and to the AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums).  I stopped for a bit after no response, and when I started up again, the AZA responded and requested I contact the accreditation department with concerns.  I played by doing so, but knew nothing would come of it, because I have contacted the AZA on two other occasions and nothing happened.  First time was when the Zoo did nothing to provide the Andean Bears with comfort, keeping them living on concrete exclusively and literally letting them pound their bones to death.  I called out the Zoo on this, alerted AZA, and wrote letters to Board Members, Donors, and the City Rec and Park.  There was no response to me or the issue. Wishbone the Andean Bear died from injuries to his bones that prevented him from being able to walk.  He died with no other medical issues and full mental capacity.  Euthanized because he couldn't walk. The Zoo's neglect to provide this Soul with a proper living environment, killed him.  ... I contacted the AZA with a long list of issue points they should check out during their Accreditation Inspection.  None of those things has since been attended to.  Its been two years this Fall.  The Chimps still live with lead paint peeling off their house.  I understand if a full paint job while they are still in that enclosure is not possible because of the toxic mess it would cause, but painting over those peeling spots to seal them at the very least should happen.  I have seen the Chimps reach at peeling spots, put their fingers in it and then in their mouths.   

So, you can see why its understandable that I don't have any faith in the AZA when it comes to pushing for necessary improvements.  I don't think they do anything that would really threaten any revenue they may get from a Zoo.   That said, I did contact the AZA as they requested, they responded to the barrier information that I sent them, which was basically a letter pointing out that I've contacted them in the past, ect. and including links to blog posts with photos of the abuse.  They said they would look into it and contact the Zoo if they thought there was an issue that didn't fall within AZA enclosure guidelines.  They included the guideline document.  I intended to read it, but never got to it.  Frankly, I don't think its on me to read through a document to see what's acceptable.  I'm not blind or stupid, I can see that people hanging kids over barriers is not right and that it puts the Animals in danger of losing their lives.  As I write this I guarentee there is someone hanging their kid over the barrier at Bear Cubs and the AZA and all non-Animal Staff at the SFZoo don't give a crap whether they fall in and our Cubs get killed while they retreive the kid.  Well, I care.  

I also know that the Keepers who care for these Animals care.  I think we are all curious why this is such an obstacle to get rectified.  Any Keeper (in any Zoo) that has insight to this, please comment.  Remember you can chose to comment Anonymously.

So, what's the point of this post?  I wanted to update on the correspondence with AZA and I also feel its necessary to keep this issue relevant, until something is done.  This barrier needs at the very least the same jagged bamboo addition that was put at Anteater.  This barrier must be made impossible for someone to stand on, sit on or hang over.  This must be done sooner than later.  

So I am again calling out the San Francisco Zoo to make the barriers not only at Bears, but at Black Rhino and Hippo, safe for the Animals and the kids who are put on barriers by their self-entitled parents.  

I am also sending this to the AZA and calling them out, as an authoritive leader of North American Zoos to make barriers in all Zoos impossible for people to stand on, sit on, or hang over, with a solid barrier at least waist high, so no kid can crawl through (Harambe) specifically at Code Red Animal enclosures.  If this was in place already, so many Zoo Animals in AZA Zoos who have lost their lives needlessly would still be alive.

If anyone wants to be a voice, 

you are welcome to do so 

by using the contact links below.  

Thank you.

San Francisco Zoo Director Tanya Peterson

tanyap@sfzoo.org

San Francisco Recreation and Park

 recpark.commission@sfgov.org

AZA

azaaccreditation@aza.org

HOT TOPIC! - Along Time Coming! - Catching Up with My Zoo Thoughts

I know, my blogging is long over due.  For some thats a good thing, for other's I don't know, but for me its 

something that nags at me.  I have a long to-do list both in online ventures, other interests and life ventures.  

That said, not a day goes by that I don't think about something at the Zoo that I would change if I were in 

charge.  Til that fantasy is fulfilled all I can do is document the things I find of issue.  That said, I know I 

have way too many "coming soon" posts in que, and the problem is, I just haven't had the time or energy to 

dedicate to them.  Most who find issue with my blogging probably think I just pick something and rag on it, 

when that's not entirely accurate.  When I post something, I like for it to be well thought out, have back 

links, photos, anything that I can provide to make it well rounded.  That all takes time and energy.

There seems to be a big stream of things  that come to mind and with each day there seems to be another, 

or at least the sting of one I still haven't written about, but is still of issue.

Today I saw a photo of a Polar Bear Birthday party at the Alaska Zoo.  Again I was taken back to November and December when our two wonderful Polars Pike and Ulu didn't even get a Birthday mention from the Zoo.  Both Bears are Seniors and should be celebrated for the life they have had and the joy they have provided to so many Visitors thru their Thirty plus years.  It suited the Zoo to create an Event around it last year when they would benefit from it with Media attention. 

During the Holidays the Zoo tried again to present Zoo Lights.  Compared to other Zoo's this was comical, 

as it was basically just some lights.  The ironic, yet sad thing is, even in the wake of the Tiger incident of 

2007 (which had authorities roaming the Zoo at night looking for a code Red Animal), the Zoo still has no 

outdoor Emergency lighting.   

Then New Years Day comes and goes without any Birthday mentions to several Zoo Friends who turned 

another year.  One inparticular slight that spears the heart, is that of Black Rhino Elly.  Elly turned 44, 

another Animal, who like Ulu, may be the oldest of their Species living in a North American Zoo.  Elly gave 

the San Francisco Zoo Fourteen babies, yet doesn't even get a mention or a special treat.  Shameful.  Shit, if 

it wasn't for me blogging and contacting Animal Welfare, she would have went un-oiled a couple years ago 

while the dryness of her skin created a huge hole in her side.  The Zoo claimed it was "unfeasible" to oil 

her in the back part of the exhibit and that the hole was caused by her rubbing against part of the gate. Interesting how she got oiled within days and the hole healed and hadn't been seen since.Then we have the current Football hype.  So of course they toss Elly's Grandson Belozi a box with the 49er logo on it, to get some Media attention.  Why?  Because they changed a name he's had and responded to for the first Five years of his life from Belozi to Boone, the name of a 49er.  I got no problem with this Boone guy doing good for the Zoo and donating funds, ect, but I do have a problem with him supporting the Zoo pimping out the Animals and allowing for this Animals named to be changed to his in exchange for those donations.

AND while on the subject of Rhinos.  Let's touch on the fact that Elly has been banished to the rear of the 

exhibit since Belozi got here, over a year ago now.   The Zoo, always quick to pat themselves on the back for their made-up "Wellness" initiative, in the wake of the deaths of Five large Animals in 2011.  Up went a sign at the Big Cats, claiming one of the Grottos as an "Enrichment" Grottos because of its "Bamboo Forest". This only after allegedly letting Senior Sumatran Tiger Padang injure herself to the point it caused her death.  Freeing up the Grotto she lived in and labeling it for "Enrichment".  That lasted a couple months before they stopped rotating the Big Cats altogether for over a year.  Only recently changing it up again.  I guess Environmental Enrichment is subjective to personal agenda of the Curator Staff.  Read, whatever is easiest at the time.   ... I sure hope they have researched (yeah right) the fact that new Amur Tiger Bronevik likes water and should be in a Grotto that has one of the deeper pools.  As well, so does Shastyuh (Martha), who hasn't been to Grotto B in probably a year and that seemed to be her favorite, lounging in the pool everytime I saw her.  Grotto B seems to have the best pool option for the Amurs, yet they continually have the Lions in there most and they don't use the pool. Its all a big head shake in that Department, ever since Keeper Barb left.  .. Oh yea and I hear they are changing Bronevik's name to Hank.  WTF?  An Amur Tiger with an established life name that reflects his Species origin, wil now be the name of a country singer.   AND while on the subject of name change, the SFZoo is screwing these Animals up by changing their names and not using their established names behind the scenes.  Animals should have one name for responding purposes.   This is what you get when the Zoo is run by someone who doesn't know anything about Animals.

Getting back to the "Wellness" of rotation and the fact that Elly has not been in the front part of the exhibit 

in over a year.   When Mishaki was still alive (one of the curious deaths) and Elly had the hole in her side, 

she was right quick oiled and moved to the front of the exhibit.   Sadly then Mishaki, sat in the back on the 

ground the rest of his life.   Neither of them liked this set-up.  Whoever designed an exhibit with a front and back instead of side by side is an idiot.  That said, they shold have been working with what they had and these Animals should have been/should be rotated often.  Elly thrived in the front, was always up prancing about and now she just lays on the ground in the back, banished there for the rest of her life it appears.  Looks like the Zoo cares more to have the younger Rhino up front.  THIS is bullshit.  

Another rotation issue, the Polar Bears.  Their only savior from living a life on concrete like poor Wishbone 

(the Andean Bear the Zoo's concrete "home" killed), was that poor Wishbone passed (as the Zoo Director so callously stated, "freeing up the grotto") and I blogged suggestions on what to do there, essentially 

providing the Zoo with a plan.  Supposedly the Zoo built a transfer system to be able to rotate the Bears, (I 

even hear to the Grizzly Gulch) but that's never happened.  Poor Pike who hardly even got time in the 

Meadow, now has it all the time but rarely goes in there.  I suspect because she's been confused for so many years whether or not she CAN, that she doesn't even bother to check sometimes.   And the renovation that the Zoo patted themselves on the back for, ended up including a dirt mound (which wasn't in my plan) in which Ulu continually has dirt crusted in her eyes from.  Another bright idea NOT.  They seriously need to level that mound and create a meadow not a mountain.  YES Ulu loves to dig, but less dirt would mean she wouldn't have it so stuck in her eyes that they are glued closed much of the time, which I documented three visits in a row.  As well, I also have to wonder if she is allowed access to night quarters thru the concrete Grotto, or does she have to walk thru dirt, once clean, to get to her bedroom?  Which yes, means she's never really clean and constantly rubbing her eyes with dirt laden footies.  UG!

While on the subject of Animal Wellness, lets talk about the new Playground.  I've seen a commercial for the Zoo's new Playground a handful of times today.  Everytime I hear about that damn Playground my blood 

boils.  The commercial features Kids saying a variety of BS PR lines, like "getting to know how it feels to be 

a Monkey or a Polar Bear".  Ahhh NO you don't, because those Animals live in ancient homes, while you 

play in state of the art areas that the Animals themselves would love.  NOW that would be a commecial. Let 

the Chimps play on the Banyan Trees in the Playground.  Better yet SFZOO why don't you make some fun 

and new thing for THEM!  It also has them saying, "Its my City, its my Zoo."  Ahhh again NO its not.  It 

should be and its supposed to, but in reality its a San Francisco Politician and Society Zoo run by a Director 

who obviously has no regard for the Animals that live there or she wouldn't allow their names to be changed 

or for anything to be built there or new Animals brought in until everything is taken care of at home 

(current Residents).   I have written much about it so I'll try not to repeat myself, only to say that the 

Chimps are still living in basically the same area they have for over Forty Years.   WORD!

Continuing on, ... The subject of new Animals.  Don't get me wrong, I love them too and I would not change 

having wonderful little Falcor the Komodo at our Zoo, but I do think there are things that need to be done 

for the current Animals Residents first.  I mentioned making trees and other improvements for the Chimps. 

I think I did write about the thoughts I had for upgrades to their current Grottos.  I know I wrote about the poor Hornbill Hercules who basically lives in a cage.  He needs a free flight area.  This bird with a wing span of 4-6 ft has not been able to fly in years.  There is room right there next to his cage to expand his area but the Zoo refuses.   ... Let's talk Hoofstock.  Good grief I have written plenty on the Disrespect the Duikers have gotten over the past few years and it continues.  Christmas marked One year since the birth of the last Dukier babie.   Over a  year since the Zoo ripped the Dukier couple apart and never put them back together.  Although now with a yearling, maybe they will heartlessly put them together and breed poor Lily again and then take her away from Erik, who wanders the Savannah alone, the only one of his Species, just so the Zoo can have representation on display.  Disgusting.  Lily and her Daughter are back living on south gate, a path the housed three Hoofstock species at one time, before they closed the path for a variety of reasons, none that made sense or were consistant.   AND poor Pokemon the Blackbuck who continued to live there til a tree fell in his home and he was moved to a side STALL at the rear of the Savannah.   A stall I hear has no grass, so he has been living on substrate for over a year and only see's wooden walls.  Its true, as an imprinted Animal he never got along with other Animals, but he loved Human visits.  This is just plain cruel.  A favorite Friend I haven't seen for almost three years.  

After the passing (bigtime curious one) of Bubsy the Giant Eland, his area opened up, yet no renovations 

were made to have it occupied by the Dukier Family or Pokemon.  For over a year the Dukier Son, Houdini lived in the back of the exhibit (after a short stay of convenience in the old Warthog exhibit with his Father, 

until it was again convenient for the Zoo's agenda to dart them, separate them and move them).  Houdini was recently sent to an out of country Zoo for breeding, so the Zoo has now brought in pair of Bongos.  Don't get me wrong I love Bongos and look forward to being able to see them, but we still have the Dukiers living separate and Pokemon living on gravel basically and staring at wood walls, both off view.   Bubsy's huge area could have been renovated to be made into two areas to house both these Species.

All this said, I have heard there has been rumblings once again in the "Wellness" Department.  First they 

brought in Dr Maples who was going to do wonders, yet all I heard about was his suggestion of the obvious 

need at Gorillas for Glass barriers.  Two thoughts I'll say on this.  One I think I posted about already but will 

repeat.  If it was noted by Dr Maples to be in the best "Wellness" interest to add the Glass barriers so 

Visitors didn't look down on the Gorillas, why were two viewing platforms left open?  AND  with a new 

Infant Gorilla and Visitor misbehavior constant, are those platforms still closed and UnGlassed six months after the birth?  Now with Dr Maples a thing of the past, there is a new Wellness regime.  It pissed me off that they had to hire someone new to see things that the people already working there were too lame to figure out.  I sure hope with bringing new people once again, they cut some of the dead weight loose.   I sure hope this new regime can turn the priorities in this place around, for the Animals sake.  There is much attention to be made to Animals Wellness that even though its shoved down our throats as something thats been at the forefront for last couple years, really has not been.   There are certain Animals that have had subcare and have lost their lives because of it.  I call out all Vets and Curators in the past two decades at the very least as responsible for many deaths at the Zoo for subcare.  Wishbone the Andean Bear, one I have documented well, and my good Friend Wakoda the Navajo Churro Sheep, who I can barely talk about without sobbing.  I knew the Keeper Staff at the Family Farm well and thought by making suggestions I could help change his situation.  All I heard for Five years was excuses and obstacles.  He got a few changes, yes a few.  AND that isn't permanent changes, those are a literal handful of times (if that) when it was convenient to let him out for exercise and socializing enrichment for at most a half hour at the end of the day.  Approximately Five times in Five years does not exercise make.  Excuse me approx. Five times in Eleven years, because before I came about asking and suggesting, he got nothing.   Being a Un-Neutered Male Sheep he was penned up like Veal his whole life.  Never past his first year having regular exercise a part of his daily routine. Never being rotated to different "stalls".  Never having a howdy fence so he could see other Animals.  All things I suggested.  Robbed of so many Enriching things in his life.  He got premature and chronic Arthritis, which caused his eventual death last year because he fell from stiffness and couldn't get up.  This stiffness would not have been an issue if he had regular exercise, denied to him by all who were supposed to care for him.  I blame the Vets and Curators most. The Vet Staff should have given the Curators exercise guidelines.  Healthcare is THEIR job!  The Curators should have researched, asked, and hello THOUGHT to implement an exercise routine.  The Animals daily routine is dictated by the Curator, that is THEIR job!  I wish his Primary Keepers through the years would have rallied on his behalf, but I also know that Keepers have their hands tied to a certain extent.  Still someone should have done something for him and I know that no-one did anything for his long-term Wellness.   Same with Wishbone, losing his life because his bones were beaten down by living 24 years on concrete and he too couldn't get up. The Zoo knew he had back and bone problems for years, yet let him languish on concrete.  I personally witnessed him have a seizure or react to a pinched nerve, tumbling down concrete stairs, writhing in pain.  The Zoo didn't recognize this happening and downgraded it as a fumble basically.   Its disgusting, heartbreaking and damn all those involved in NOT doing the best for these Animals. 

Well, I guess I'm on a roll.  It was that damn Playground commercial that set me off today.  Lets see, what 

posts do I have down listed as "coming soon" that I just haven't gotten to.  I have a couple about Barriers.  I know its probably tired, but the misbehavior in regard to Barriers is a real issue for me.  Some don't agree, in fact I had a discussion with a friend about her perspective, which I will detail probably in my post on this.  Yes, I do plan to save the Barrier issue for a post all its own because I think its important to document this issue because of the dire consequences that can come of misbehavior surrounding it.   .. Others I've touched on a bit here, Chimps, Signs (will be apart of the Barrier post), good grief I'm back as far as not posting a review of the Halloween Event.  Well all I can say is, I had high hopes since the first day so many Animals got carved Pumpkins with treats.  BUT by the second day and definitely second weekend, the lazy set in, at least with the Animals I saw.  So many with no carved Pumpkins, which equaled no treats inside.  Jahari the Lion looked at the whole Pumpkin like What the Hell?  Where's the Beef?  Seriously, Lions don't care about the Pumpkins uncarved, they want the Meat treat people!    Kudos to Keeper Eric for doing a great job with Falcor's first Halloween!  

Ok readers, I'm exhausted and frankly getting a bit hyped up with all this.  It has been good to get out some 

thoughts that constantly swirl in my head but just haven't gotten to put down.

Thanks for reading, I know it was long.  ... My new coming soon is called Zoo-Years Resolution!

News Article for Sunday March 31, 2013 - SF Examiner Article = Glorified Press Release

I meant for this to be more timely, but with the article the following day and the loss of our precious Zoo Friend Milky Way the next. 

I have been enjoying our Cubbie and even though I am irritated on a daily basis about things that go on at the Zoo, so I just didn't feel like writing about the "issues" I have.  But, it is now two weeks later and I need to do so to keep things moving forward on the blog.

On Easter I was having quite a pleasant day and then this new article came through on Google News Alert.  Seeing a photo of the Director was enough for me to put it aside and read it later.  

The article is titled "SF Zoo Showing Signs of Bright Future Years After Setbacks".   ... You can read it in full at the link below.

http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/2013/03/san-francisco-zoo-showing-signs-bright-future-years-after-devastating-setbacks

Blah, Blah, Blah.  This article is ridiculous.  I'm tired of hearing Director Peterson pat herself on the back. Time, has healed the Zoo in many ways, not her guidance. In fact there are many among Staff who think she has no management skills. As someone who is in the know with what goes on at the Zoo, I completely agree. There are alot of untruths, curiosities, and frankly BS that come out of the Zoo at her direction.   

Where are the days of actual reporting?  Is there no investigative reporters anymore?  I wish News Reporters would do some actual reporting, which would include research and asking questions, instead of relaying what is basically a one-sided opinion that equals a Press Release.

Learning about the issues at the Zoo are not hard to find for anyone who cares enough about the place to find them.   Any reporter could with one Google search find my blogs and pick any one of the issues I bring up and use them as a more interesting angle.  This actually happened once and at least it showed some skill and thought about the subject.  

For one, the lead about the Pachyderm Building: 

>>>On a recent Saturday at the San Francisco Zoo, families ambled through the art deco entryway of the Pachyderm Building. But they were not heading in to see the zoo’s rhinos or hippos. In fact, there were no animals at all behind the red doors.

Instead, the building housed a temporary exhibit about dinosaurs — one of director Tanya Peterson’s first efforts to create an exhibit not directly involving wildlife. It signaled more plans for the zoo’s future, which Peterson wants to take from “good” to “great.” <<<

"Not directly involving wildlife" ???  If anyone had any sense, Director and Writer included, the question should be asked, how has the renovation of the Pachyderm Building affected the "wildlife" that lives there?  Asian One Horned Rhino Gauhati's character has visibly changed since this renovation took place.    Rhino's have sensitive hearing and the amount of noise that comes out of the area that houses these rotating installations, is awful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVwcrH7Xk20  (filmed with only six kids in there)

Gauhati lives on the other side of those walls.  The acoustics are horrible and even when he's outside I'm sure he can hear whats going on in what he only knows to be his home.  If the Zoo's "Wellness" for their Animals was priority, renovating the Pachyderm building would have been for the "Wellness" of Gauhati.  But things are continuously done without being empathetic to the Animals.  There are ways to showcase these other ideas (previous was a Movie and Bat Gallery), without them interfering with an Animals home space.  The Zoo (Management) is just too lazy and uncreative to think of them.

Bottom line, there's a question that goes with her statement.   There are alot of questions.  Why is there no articles asking these questions?   I'm asking them.  Other Visitors who care are asking them.   Yet every time an article about general Zoo update (not Animal Birth or Sports related Naming) comes out, its the same old fluff?   There's the "pat" on Peterson's back, there's the stale Tiger event, its the same old.   I challenge someone with a byline to write something meaty about the Zoo.  You don't even have to go further than my blogs for research.

Another classic quote -  

>>“Zoos are the last haven for a lot of endangered species. So if you care about global conservation, you’ve got safe harbors in these zoos.”<<

"Safe Harbors"?  This would be comical if it weren't so sad.  There is Human trash there everyday tormenting the Animals. Yet the Zoo under Director Peterson lets this happen by ignoring these incidents. People are constantly over the barriers, yelling at the animals, throwing stuff into enclosures.  Does she address how she's going to fix these problems? NO!  Instead she spews her dreams of grandeur while waiting for another tragedy to happen.

I want to read an article and have these questions asked and answered.

*What's being done to deter Visitors from breach barriers at the Animal Enclosures?   With so many instance of such, why isn't there more Security on the grounds? 

  

*Why is the Zoo's Mission to Educate, yet there is no Education on how to behave in the Zoo = A place Animals live?

*Why are choices to spend money on such rotating installations a priority over upgrading Animals enclosures? 

This article mentions how old the exhibits are, well 

*Why hasn't anything been done about them?

Allegedly there was money in place years ago for both a new home for the Chimps and for the Bears.  Who knows where those funds went, but that's a gone-by as the future of the Zoo seems to be building new areas to bring in new animals and screw the ones that have lived there 30/40 years.

*Why do we have a new Playground under construction, yet the Animals rarely get play things and live in homes that scream for upgrade attention?

The Oakland Zoo built a new state of the art Animal Hospital.  The San Francisco Zoo is building a Playground.

You tell me which facility has Animal Wellness as a priority?   The one that doesn't keep shoving it verbally down the public's throat, but shows it in actions.

I am hurt everyday by the decisions that are made at the Zoo that don't have the Animals who live there's best interests as priority.    I'm tired of everything they say these days is Wellness this, and Wellness that.  In my opinion its all patting themselves on their backs and blowing smoke up ours.   FYI Wellness is a given and one that hasn't been proved in so many ways.  Ask Wishbone.   

Another quote:

>>> "Peterson may not seem like an obvious choice to run a zoo since she has little training with animals. She said her respect for animals comes from her mother’s side of the family, all of whom were ranchers. Her animal-caring skills were the basic 4-H and cat-and-dog rescue type." <<<

She is not the obvious choice.  The obvious choice would be someone who actually cares about the Zoo and the Animals that live there.   I could name a handful of people who could run the Zoo better, myself included.  I know some will laugh at that, but at least I have the passion and obviously the brains since alot of what I write about seems to make its way into the Zoo.  Being able to raise funds (mostly not even for the right things) does not make someone a good Manager, which is what the Director position is about.  BUT it seems that becoming Zoo Director is about who you know and not how much you care.  Which also goes for other Management Staffers.

Director Tanya Peterson is a fundraiser with social and economic status.  Those who support her doing anything more than fundraising, specifically being the Director, apparently are of the same.  They are those that don't care, or those who fear her.  It is allegedly common knowledge that the layoffs she refers to are people who have worked there for many years.  People who probably had ideas or know more about the Zoo than she does so she's demoted them or gotten rid of them.  There's a lot of house cleaning to do there and sadly no one with authority over the Director wants to sift thru the issues and do it.

She says "Respect"?   This is a woman who (among other things) allowed Wishbone the Andean Bear to continue to live on a concrete surface (as he had done for 20+ years of his life) when it was known that he had bone and joint issues.  He continually fell because of the pain from these issues, eventually having to be put down after becoming paralyzed from the literal pounding to death his bones took daily on concrete.  An Animal who was completely there mentally, yet lose use of his legs due to the "habitat" he was forced to live in.  He would still be alive today if all these so called caring people in authority at the Zoo gave him a soft surface to live on.

http://projectgetwishbonegrass.blogspot.com/

UG,  I could go on and on, but I can't re-read anymore of this to even make many more comments.  The whole thing makes me sick.   I'm not the only one who feels this way.   I'm just one of the only ones who actually says what I think.   

So many of us who care about the Zoo, long-time Visitors and those I've talked to on the Animal Staff, want the Zoo to be all it can be for the Animals.  We know that in doing that, the Zoo becomes all it can be for the Visitors as well.  Those of us on the outside would love to be in the inside, working to make the Zoo all that it can be.  Those who are on the inside want to make what they have better.    Building new areas and other costly things before "taking care at home"  is not better.  Its ignoring instead of fixing.  

I also believe that there are alot of people who buy this fluff that the Zoo and Media is selling.  Not only the Public, but the San Francisco Zoological Society and its Board Members, Donors and the San Francisco Recreation and Park.  No one questions anything.   Why?   Apparently its as simple as they just don't care.  Because if they did they would see.   Its because of those people that the Zoo will remain mediocre, never reaching its potential AND most important, the Animals who live there will never be the priority.

To those people I say, at the rate its going the Zoo will be one of a few things in the future.  Non-existent because it never reached its potential.  Non-existent because they couldn't recover from another tragedy.  OR  because they continue to waddle in mediocrity it will remain just the same, a place people come and don't really care about, because they were never taught to.   

This article ends with a quote from the Zoo's leader

>>“This is firstly a preserve and a park, a beautiful park,” she said. “And it is a unique way in an urban environment to connect with wildlife.”<<

Well all I can say is, this is how I see the Urban's Connecting with Wildlife.  Good Luck with THAT!

I will also add these links to a posts I made in regards to the caring words the Director puts forth about the Animals who live at the Zoo.

http://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2013/03/more-words-from-cough-heart-from-san.html

http://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2012/05/tuesday-may-1-2012-today-in-email.html

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Contact the San Francisco Zoo Director Tanya Peterson

if you want your voice heard.

tanyap@sfzoo.org

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