Another News Piece on the Young Patas Monkey

I wasn't prepared for what came through on my News Alert today.  I'm sick to my stomach by the photos shared by Jesse-Patrick's Keeper Dayna.   I feel like crying.  It sounded awful when described in the first article 4.23.17, but these photos are shocking and heartbreaking.  I visit that Patas Monkey's near every visit, and I'm not sure how I missed this.  It has been raining, and I remember several times looking into the exhibit and not seeing them out.  Somehow these few weeks went by and I've felt guilty for not knowing, since I first heard about this.   Now,  I feel it would have broke my heart to witness this

You can read the article and view the video containing photos, and Keeper interview here:

http://abc7news.com/news/exclusive-zookeeper-concerned-about-euthanasia-decisions-at-sf-zoo/1942530/

I'm going to post my personal Memorial photo of Jesse-Patrick and one of his Family.  After seeing those heartbreaking photos in the news story, you must see him in happier times.

                                          Jesse-Patrick at six months old

                               In December at one year old with his Mama Winnie and Sister Freida.                        

I sit here trying to organize my thoughts through sadness for this poor little Soul and his Family.  I feel awful for Dayna to have to watch this develop and hope for an end to Jesse-Patrick's suffering.   

When I wrote my first post about this tragedy, I was heartbroken, I still am that this little life was cut short.  As I often do, I write posts with peripheral information.  Reading it back now, I realize there was so much of that (because there's a lot of wrong at the Zoo), and wasn't enough about the specifics of Jesse-Patrick's situation.  Maybe, I feel that way in hindsight because of how powerful what Dayna has now shared is.  

I also call attention to the follow-up post that I wrote, right after the first one.  I hesitated to post it and then didn't get back to it.  I posted it before writing this one, in light of today's News story.  I want to reiterate something that I wrote in that post.  ... The Keepers at the Zoo work in fear of losing their jobs if they say anything about what goes on there.  That said, a lot that goes on, stays secret.  If this story is being made public,  all details, information, accusations, everything, are true.  Sadly.  

That said, I trust Dayna's observations, compassion and that she knows these Animals.  She would not make a claim to end an Animals life, if it wasn't the best thing for him.  Unfortunately as I've noted before,  Management does not value the knowledge that the Keepers have in regard to the Animals in their care.  Keepers are the core of Animal Care, yet at the Zoo, a facility that supposedly cares for Animals, they (Keepers) are pretty low on the totem pole.  Its not right.

In my previous post I wrote about the Director, the Zoological Society and the SF Recreation and Park and how that all plays to the highest levels of Management.  Let's also take a look at a couple of the "players" in Animal Care, Management.  I'll note here that these are upper level positions and allegedly will always side with the Director over the Keepers. ...  I'll start with Jason Watters who was interviewed in this news piece and sided with Director Peterson.  I'll start by saying, I have never met this guy, I've seen him maybe three times, and I've heard nothing good about him.  So, who is he? He's the head of the Wellness Dept.  Let me say something about the Wellness Dept.  While I don't know everything they do, I've had a problem with the word "wellness" since I first heard it used at the Zoo in 2012.  To me, Wellness is a given.  I assume its part of the Animals expected health care. I feel like they pulled out this word to pat themselves on the back, and then developed a whole Dept. Anyway, I rarely see this guy, so what's he doing all day, since he's full-time?  I have seen the Wellness Interns observing the Animals.  I think that's a good thing.  Anyone else in that Dept, not sure what they do.  David Bocian, haven't seen this guy around in months, but I know he's still there and I think still the head of Animal Care.  Personally,  the conversations I've had with him, I haven't learned anything, if you get my drift.  So, in this particular situation, the Animal Care Management team seemed to be Watters and Bocian, who then conferred with Director Peterson.  If they wanted to keep their jobs, they did what she told them to do, because that's how the Zoo is run.  ... In my opinion, the Animal Management Team needs to value and support what their full-time Keepers tell them about the Animals in their care.

Two more things that are very bothersome about Jesse-Patrick's heath situation.

The USDA came out and found that there was "no non-compliant" issue.   ... I assume that means they felt all decisions being made by Management were in accordance?  ... I contacted the USDA on a previous serious issue and never got a response.  So, my faith in them is not the highest.

The AZA said that it requires Director's to make final decisions on Animal's lives.  ... What happens when the Zoo has a Director with no Animal knowledge?  and a fear of looking bad to anyone outside the walls?  Because she doesn't care how she looks to her own Staff.  Not well liked, yet she stays. ... Again I have contacted the AZA on a couple serious issues.  They don't follow-up with you, but since nothing changed in those situations, I assume they didn't care.  My opinion of the AZA is that they will do minimal to "push" a Zoo to do right things, because that could influence their monetary intake in a way that doesn't line their pockets.

Lastly, I 100% believe Dayna when she says Jesse-Patrick's life was held hostage based on what Director Peterson thought would be public perception. .

I know there are other Animal Welfare situations that are not tended to for the same reason.

I'm Sorry Precious Little Jesse-Patrick.