Is SFZoo Director Peterson Fundraising For Our Chimps?

I've talked about our Chimps alot over the past few days.  Yesterday I spent time at the Zoo with Friends meeting Friends and Celebrating our Chimps.  I also did an interview for the Documentary being made about our Cobby.

Those events have resonated the feelings of passion I have in my advocacy for our Zoo Friends, and for my Chimp crusade in particular.  So, again I thought my days off would be filled with catching up here.  Instead I caught up on sleep, only to wake up and click on a google news alert for the Zoo that pissed me off.

Its not hard to piss me off in regards to the Zoo.  That is part of the problem.  Too many things are upsetting, and rather than write about them on the spot, they just get added to the to do list.  

Today, I'm bypassing my want for chronological order, for things to have backstory, for each post to flow into the next.  I just couldn't keep my thoughts to myself, until the right time in the post line came up.

So, even without proper updates, we all know, at this point,  four months after Zoo Director Tanya Peterson promised upgrades to our Chimps, that nothing except painting one structure from the 80s and doing neglected maintenance inside their night quarters has happened. 

We know that to date, Director Peterson has not forged into the "biggest fundraising campaign", that she touted at the announcement Meeting in February.   The only apparent effort to raise money for the Chimps has been by putting up a Donation page on their website, which was mentioned once on their Facebook page.

We know that one million dollars came from an Anonymous Donor, and I was told as of April 6th, that $10,000 was raised via the website.

I have been focusing on the asthetic state of the Chimps night quarters, as to me, this shows the blatant disregard and disrespect these Beings have gotten over the years.  At the very least, their home should have been painted by now.  I think they can afford a few cans of paint and manpower to get it done.  At the very least, it would show they care.

Cobby, wishing he was watching paint dry rather than peel.

On the extreme end of the upgrade situation, I was told by Director Peterson that the 1 million was enough to get the Sky Trails done.  So why hasn't that begun?   She knows very well that with the ages of our Chimps, that this is a time sensitive project.  This is an upgrade that in tempoary lieu of a new exhibit, will allow for more space and an additional holding space for bringing in additional Chimps, which is essential to them being able to remain at the Zoo, under the AZA guidelines.  

So, let's talk about the new exhibit.  With a price tag of ten million, Director Peterson has been quoted saying that she's found it difficult to fundraise for this project.  I'd personally like to know what attempts she's made?  I've written before that I have not heard of any attempt for the Chimps needs at any ZooFest during her reign.  I have also yet to hear whether they were mentioned at this years ZooFest.

I also want to add, as I've done before and will again, that I think its disgusting that Members of the San Francisco Zoological Society are choosy what they donate to.  Maybe they should be reminded this organization they chose to be part of is a home and facility that is supposed to be dedicated to the care and well being of Living Beings.  Their Needs should be priority over "pet" projects.

That all said in brief, this is a ScreenCap of what came through the google alert today.

Don't get me wrong, as a San Francisco Native I'm all for history festivities, BUT you got to effin' be kidding me "led an expert fundraising charge to support these frolics and raise multi-million dollar funds,..."   So, the way I read this is, Director Peterson had ambition for and was able to, raise funds for frolics and lights, but can't seem to do the same for Living Beings in Need?   I'm also pretty sure she and every other Member of our illustrious San Francisco Zoological Society live in homes with no peeling paint.  Shameful.