So, yeah, this post has been in draft for well over a year. So long, that I've had to change the title and direction a bit from, Why Hasn't the Komodo Dragon Gotten a Decent Home?, to Why Did It Take So Long For the Komodo Dragon to Get a Decent Home?
As the Zoo prepares to move Falcor the Komodo Dragon into his new home, I feel like before all the patting on the back fanfare, I must document the history of this Animal's history since arriving in August of 2013. I have written many posts about him, which you can find by searching this blog for "Falcor" or "Komodo Dragon".
Last year as I started to organize all my notes for this post, I realized that the last time I posted about Falcor was almost two years ago (October 2015). It made me sad that I have waited so long to be his voice again. I feel like a failure that I didn't keep his story a HOT TOPIC. I've said this before, but I don't think many realize how much it takes out of me to do some of these posts. This is not something I enjoy. In fact it makes me physically sick most of the time, but I just deal with it, because leaving the Animals I know and love voiceless, hurts me more. I know the Zoo (Management) thinks I live to be critical of them, but I really don't. I would love nothing more than to have the Zoo do right by the Animals, so I didn't constantly have to wonder Why they can't. I'd love them to do the right thing in every sense, so I don't have to wonder Why they can't. I would love nothing more than the Zoo to be all that it can be, for the Animals that call it home and for those of us who love the place. I'm not alone in that wish.
As someone who went to the New Orleans Zoo with the goal of seeing the Komodo Dragon, I was really happy that we were getting one and it goes without saying that I did my research in learning everything about little (not even two years old) Falcor before he even got here. Once he did, I watched every move the SFZoo made with him.
Falcor was hatched October 8, 2011 at Memphis Zoo, the first after a decade of trying. Named by his Keepers after the iconic Dragon in the classic film The Neverending Story. I was told by the Memphis Zoo Staff that he knows and responds to his name.
He has been a joy to visit since day one and from day one, he has been disrespected by the San Francisco Zoo.
Before Falcor even debuted he joined a long list of disrespected Residents, when Zoo Director Tanya Peterson auctioned off his name to the highest bidder. I have written plenty about my distaste for this type of fundraising, in regards to Animals who have established names. Even those who don't (SFZoo Born), there should be some guidelines of decency. In short, I think names should be respected, and if auctioned off, original names should be used in house and donor names only for public purposes. I'll stop at that for now, as I said, my feelings about this are well documented.
When his new name was announced, I felt sick. It was the most disrespectful to date. In my post about it, I didn't hold back how I felt. I'm not going to repeat that now, as I don't want to bash the donor again, as he is the one who has funded Falcor's new home and I'm grateful someone has come through for him. That said, I have changed my position on this a bit, oh don't get me wrong I hate the name more than ever, but I blame the Zoo more for not only allowing the name, but using it in part. Anyone that knows the Komodo Dragon, knows his official name is now Big Daddy Bahasa. A name I will Never use. As I wrote in 2013 when this travesty happened, NO Animal should be named Big Daddy anything. As well, Bahasa, while in the Komodo native language, literally means the word language. So this poor Animal is named Big Daddy Language. Some Animals who have donor names, get their original names used in house, but that's rare and poor Falcor didn't get that respect. So, a sweet little two year old Falcor, has since been called Big Daddy by Zoo Staff. They couldn't even have the respect to call him Bahasa. ... I was in a discussion recently with a Staffer who agreed it was disrespectful and said "Big Daddy" sounds like an inappropriate term between a young female and old man. I almost cried thinking about my precious little Friend and that awful moniker.
Falcor debuted in late August 2013, at the re-purposed Binowee Landing exhibit, now named Komodo Alley. Appropriately named as it was a short walk-thru corridor, enclosed in glass. This would not be suitable for him for too long. Thankfully it was reported from day one, that he was to get a new home built for him within a year and a half. ... A promise that was never kept.
Over the next year and a half I asked many times about when his new home would happen. No one knew. Seems plans were talked about, tabled, and veto'd. No one can decide on plan, on space, and there wasn't even money for it. What?! I was told when he got there, One Million had been donated to build him a home. Where did that money go? It surely could not have cost a Million to create the Alley. Was there never really that amount? Was there only funds donated to get him in the door? Then what? .. At that year and a half mark, brought in a new and shiny pet for the Zoo, Red Panda. The Red Panda not only got a new spacious home, and a tree house built by and featured on the tv show Tree House Masters. After that, the Zoo staff built two additional mini tree house platforms. ... Falcor continued to just sit in a Terrarium.
Falcor was not only quickly outgrowing the Terrarium, it had become a barren dirt pit. When he first arrived it was lush with greenery. Within a year, plant by plant, it became void of green. I asked about this and was told it was hard to keep plants in there. So what, not try? Not continue to provide him with any landscaping? As well, he used to love to be able to look outside and one of those windows where he could see other Animals was covered up. I never saw him get Enrichment either. His living situation was beyond sad. Why was this Animal, that the Zoo had to have being disrespected like this? Why wasn't fundraising for a new home a priority? Was it even mentioned at the annual ZooFest?
Falcor lived for a year in that barren dirt pit. It wasn't until the Zoo had their AZA accreditation inspection in October 2015, did he get any greenery. Shameful and they knew it, otherwise they wouldn't have rushed to make it appear like he was living in a greenery landscaped habitat the whole time.
January 2015
October 2015
In the beginning of 2015, Falcor started to develop a bump on his lower spine at the point where his tail starts. I actually didn't notice it until it became obvious in the Spring, but you can see in the above video taken in January, that it was starting then. I asked about it continually for months and was told "they" (Vets and Animal Staff Management) knew about it and were monitoring it. Monitoring it, they call it, what they were doing was watching it grow. By the end of Summer, it grew to be approximately three to four inches off his body. They waited over six months and until he allegedly couldn't walk to finally do something about it. I'm grateful that they did all that they did do to help him, but geez, it really should have been alot sooner. I'm not the only one who thinks that. ... There have even been some questions whether his health issue was a one off for a Komodo Dragon, or whether the size of his habitat stunted his bones natural growth? Some have also wondered if a larger area to exercise if he wanted to move more wouldn't have been helpful in his rehabilitation mobility progress.
Here's the Zoo's video regarding his health issue and medical treatment. I take the diagnosis as an alleged truth because of factors in question. I truly don't think anyone will ever really know why his spine became unhealthy.
So let's get back to that promise of a new home. I've heard Staff make reference to him not getting a new home because it was wait and see regarding his health issue. As stated in the video "future unknown". Well, that doesn't add up for me. If a new home as promised within year and a half, of his arrival in August 2013, had happened, that would have been early 2015, so construction plans would have had to start at least six months prior, that's Fall 2014, before the Zoo knew anything about his health issue. So hello, at that point "future known"! ... Remember at that point they had already moved on to a commitment for Red Panda.
What's been happening since his surgery in November 2015 and two years later. Well, a whole lot of nothing with his living condition. He still lives in that Terrarium. Void of greenery. He has been getting therapy, and there have been different alterations to his space, I assume to accommodate his mobility progress. Still he should have had some greenery, and a new home by this point.
From January 2017
In July 2017 I noticed a box outside the one window he can look out of.
You can see its like a chute. It appears to measure less than 2 ft wide and about seven ft long? Allegedly it was so he can go outside. GO OUTSIDE!? So via a hole cut in the wall, he walks in and with no room to move around, just sits there in the sun? Then they turn it around so he is facing the hole in the wall and he walks back into the Terrarium. I could have just cried hearing that. At the very least they could have made him a little yard right there, plenty of room. As you can see the chute in the rear of this photo and all the space around it.
Worse, one day soon after, I saw him paw at the hole in the wall that leads to the box outside.
I teared up seeing that. He craves the outdoors. When I'm there and he's near the window facing the door, I always open the door for a few minutes and show him the outdoor world and he loves it. Perks up and is interested, rather than just laying there with no stimulation. I've also seen him huddle into the one ray of sunshine that has come through his window. So sad.
Soon after discovering the chute, I heard they started taking him off exhibit, up to an outdoor area so he could go outside on a natural surface. Hallelujah! As much as I love visiting him, every time I see the rope up at his Terrarium, I'm happy that he is on his field trip. I was told that he loves it there and is active! He thrives on those trips. I wish he could just stay up there off exhibit until he gets a new home. But, I don't know the full set-up and there does need to be a temperature controlled indoor environment for him, as not all days are warm enough to be outside. That said, I was there on one of the hottest days this fall, 93 degrees and he was not on his field trip. I felt like crying.
So I asked yet again and again through 2017, When will Falcor get his new home? I continually asked and allegedly all the plans had been veto'd as too expensive. Each time this made me mad. Why? Four years later and still there is no money raised? WTH? ... Additionally, and this is just me, if I was Director and my salary was near half Million a year, I wouldn't be able to sleep at night knowing an Animal I brought here was in inadequate living conditions. This Animal has been in need for years. Why wait for a Donor, was a Donor even being sought? Is there a reason the Director can't donate to the cause?
By the end of Summer seemingly out of nowhere, word was construction would begin on Falcor's new home! FINALLY! He waited so long! Not the Thirty Years those poor disrespected Chimps waited, but geez, he waited and has been long overdue for MORE room!
Construction began in October and its been a quick build! He should be in his new home very soon!
