The Longest Night - Day Darkness at the Zoo - 9.9.20

The Day of Darkness was one of my reserved days.   As the morning went on, and no daylight appeared, I wasn't sure if the Zoo would even be open.   Glad it was.  It was pretty cool to be there for this possibly once in a lifetime event.  Unfortunate circumstances for this to occur, so hopefully Northern California never has wildfires this bad again, that would allow for a repeat performance. 

It had started to get a bit lighter about 9:30a, so when I arrived, it wasn't too dark, but just the heavy orange sky.  The dusk appearance made it felt like the old event, Member's Night.  I walked most of the grounds, to document how it looked and what the Animals were doing.  By 11a it started to get dark and by Noon it was like nighttime.  

The Animals looked a bit confused.  Of course I went to Chimps first, and for the first time I was able to see into the Dayroom from the path window with no glare!  They looked at me like, What are you doing here at night?  The Peccaries were the most curious.  All four lined up and stared at me, again like, What the heck?

These are my clips put together in three parts.  Some might be interesting, some might not.  A friend who watched part one, said it was, "Fascinating... eerie."

Part One: Entering, thru Apes, Chimps, Orangutans, One Horned Rhino, Cats, Black Rhino, Hippo, Peccaries, Wolves, Bears, Puente, Komodo, back to Apes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt4-d0voTyQ

Part Two: Chimpanzees in yard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWFfHTlXNs8

Part Three: Savannah, Gorillas, to Children's Zoo, Farm, and out. ... Note through the trees in CZ you can see the actual orange color of the sky.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUZXvg6AmVo

I left just after 1p and it looked like it was 9p.  Not much orange sky at that time, but nighttime darkness. ... By 2:30p there was a weird daylight breaking through.

While it was a cool experience, despite the reason for it, there were also a couple of odd feelings in certain places.  One in the moment and one in hindsight. While filming at Cats, the lighting appearance of sundown, brought on a quick snip of a vision of the events of Christmas 2007.  Sadness for Tatiana came over me, so I quickly stopped filming and moved on.  Then, while playing my files to put together the videos, when viewing from Peccaries to Wolves, I realized how isolated I was in the dark, at the far end of the Zoo. It reminded me of when a visitor entered the Grizzly Bear enclosure in  November 2009.  At the time, I was outraged that visitors were still allowed to roam the Zoo in the dark, two years after Tatiana.  This was before I started cranky blogging, and instead wrote emails to the Director.  This one asked if she was waiting for another tragedy, noting that visitors should not be allowed to be in the Zoo, around Animal enclosures, in the dark and that the Zoo should be closed earlier when the time changes to Standard Time.  Director Peterson proposed a Winter hour schedule at the next Joint Zoo Committee Meeting.  ... That all said, there I was, wandering about in the dark, not a staff member in sight.  In hindsight, I'm bothered the Animals were left vulnerable during this day darkness.  I would have liked to see someone posted at breachable enclosures.

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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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Update on Mama Peahen and her Chicks - Their Sad and Unnecessary Fate

Mama and Her Four Babies 9.2.20

I wanted to do an update last weekend, but I didn't get to viewing a putting together all my video clips in time.  The clips include some nice footage of another Peahen and her Chicks, as well as the complete events that happened to the Mama Peahen and Chicks that are the subject of this upset.  Clips are of the joy when I first saw this Family, of them being booted from safety, and of Mama frantically trying to find a new safe place for her babies. 

That video is done and can be viewed here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfiwwsd36QU

The last time Mama was spotted was Thursday September 10th.  She had only one babie left.  My heart breaks for her.  She didn't have to watch three of her babies die.

As of Wednesday September 16th, the Patas Enclosure was still empty.  That Family could have stayed safe in there and all the babies would still be alive. 

Update video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Po7ynf22R4

This whole situation was irresponsible in the management of Animals in the San Francisco Zoo Collection.  The action was cruel and shameful.  Those in Zoo management responsible will surely not like these words, but as always, I'm just relaying the facts.  The action was theirs. 

I inquired to several other AZA Zoos with free roaming Peafowl, about their management protocol, as well as the AZA, about Peafowl Management guidelines.  I asked the general question without giving any details as to why I was asking, other than that I was doing research.  I didn't expect to get a reply from the AZA as they never respond to inquiries.   I did get replies from Zoos.  Only one followed through on providing information. 

I thought their response was top notch in detail as well in their protocol for Peafowl Management. 

> "Our peafowl are somewhat managed.  We will make fake eggs to limit how many hatch.  We will do nest checks and replace any fertile eggs with fakes.   When chicks do hatch there are several factors on if the peahen is permitted to free roam with the chicks.  Some factors would be if the hen has successfully raised chicks before, how many chicks, the color of the chicks and how many predators we believe are in the area.  If necessary we will pull the hen with the chicks and give them time to grow.  We have also raised some chicks ourselves if necessary 

Our peafowl are fed twice a day and they know where to come.  They get gamebird chow, cracked corn, greens, fresh fruit and veggies.  They also enjoy leftovers from our parrots and know where to beg for bugs and peanuts. 

We do have some "special" peafowl that are locked up every night or on very busy days for their safety.  This group is also protected from bad weather and given a heat source when it's very cold.  The other peafowl without any issues prefer to roost high in trees.  During bad weather they usually find a barn to hang out in and are fine.  Most of our peafowl are banded with different colors so we can identify them and know if one doesn't seem right. 

We recently had a peachick hatch with splayed legs.  We intervened and banded it's legs.  It's doing well and is with its mother." <

As you can see, much different than the way our poor Peafowl are treated. 

SFZoo does not protect Mother's and their Chicks, does not feed Peafowl, and does not provide them shelter.  Seemingly something needs to change with Peafowl management and in the Bird Dept.

Praying Mama still has her one babie.

Related post:

http://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2020/09/what-is-going-on-newborn-peachicks-and.html

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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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What Is Going On?! - Newborn Peachicks and Mama Booted From Safety

This incident happened last Tuesday.  I was so upset that I planned to sit in my car after leaving the Zoo and write this post.  I usually don't write blog posts anywhere but home.  They take alot of time and energy, so Id rather be at home and comfortable, but I was absolutely outraged at the lack of compassion that I just witnessed, I was ready to go off the cuff. I needed that immediate outlet.

As I made my way out of the Zoo I kept running into people I knew, and since I was fuming, the only thing I had to talk about was what had happened.  Every person I talked to agreed, This was wrong. 

That morning as I approached the old Patas Monkey enclosure, to check if it was inhabited yet (more on that in a bit), I saw a Mama Peahen and Four Teenies inside.  Gosh they were cute.  I hadn't seen Peachicks that small in many many years.  They weren't there the day before, so they must have hatched overnight?  I spent the next hour or so gushing over them and taking many photos and videos. ... I haven't uploaded that footage yet.

I noticed right away that the door to the Keeper area was open.  Nearing that hour mark, I saw two Keepers inside the exhibit.  Soon, they started motioning to the Mama and Chicks, herding them toward the door.  I couldn't believe what I was seeing.  These newborn babies were being led to the path.  

Let me say, I don't blame the Keepers, they take orders from their bosses. I'm sure I know but will leave it at saying, whoever did make this call, shame on you.  There was a more compassionate way to do this, and that would have been to wait.

Once the Family got to the gate, it was opened and they were shooed out, and the gate closed behind them.  

I was there every step of the way, and documented the whole thing.  My heart was breaking for this Mama.  She was so upset, one minute she's in a safe environment with her new babies and the next minute she's pushed out onto the path where people are coming up to her, one little kid was about to throw rocks at her babies.  It was just awful.  She started making distressful sounds, that sounded almost like bird screams but on the level of a whimper, as she tried to keep all her babies next to her, while maneuvering past tons of people on the path, looking for a safe place for her babies.  

She had a safe place.  WHY was she kicked out of it? 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btbezK1vCsI

A bit of back story.  The Patas Monkeys, also got the boot.  They were sent to another Zoo two years ago.  This enclosure has sat vacant since the day they left.  

Two weeks ago, some staff were working in there, clearing out the overgrown landscaping.  I asked them if someone was going in there and was told the (Bald) Eagle.  What?!  I was shocked and initially bothered that Sureshot was being removed from her longtime home at Eagle Lake.  I don't like displacement, but after thinking about it and imagining her in there, I thought maybe it wouldn't be so bad, as she would have alot more room.  ... The catalyst for the move is allegedly a drama between her and the Pelicans.  It seems logical, as the Zoo unnecessarily doubled its Pelican population a few years back and there isn't enough land for a dozen plus Birds.

So, Sureshot has been off exhibit I think about three weeks.  And that day, Tuesday, probable Hatch Day, was THE day they decided to put Sureshot in the Patas Enclosure. 

Here's my grief.  The exhibit has been vacant two years.  Sureshot has been off exhibit maybe three weeks.  What was the hurry?  They couldn't wait a day?  a few days?  a week?  It had to be done THAT day? Why?  ... Nothing is ever done there in a hurry, Why this?  Orangutans sat in the caged tube for eight months and still have no home of their own.  Squirrel Monkeys lived in cages in a concrete room for four years, never going outside.   And NOW they are in a hurry.  

I understand that the Peafowl are free roaming, and usually have their babies wherever and then live out their journey of survival roaming about the grounds.

But, this Mama chose a place she felt was safe, since there was nothing going on in there for years.  So, at that point, she should have been left alone, at least for a few days.  Not kicked to the curb, less than a day after her babies hatched.  Unbelievably Cruel.  

Part of the Zoo's Mission Statement includes the word CARE.  I do not see Care in this situation, or many others for that matter.  There has been too many instances where there is No Compassion, No Empathy, and it's disturbing.

The thing is, the Peafowl are part of the Zoo's collection, yet they treat them like they are wild.  Why, because they are free roaming?  They get medical care, but other than that, they are left on their own to find food and shelter.  It has always bothered me that there is not one area that they know to go to for food supplement if needed.

I now think there should be a place where Mama's and Babies can be relocated together, and protected from Predators until they are a decent size to survive.  Why are they just left out to wonder and possibly get preyed upon?

There has to be a space.  I immediately thought of two.  First, the day before, I saw for the first time, four Peachicks at the Farm.  These Chicks are a couple months old.  They are in the renovated old Turkey enclosure.  They stay in the coop, but when bigger will have access to the yard.  It's unclear, but it seems they were separated from their Mama's and brought there to be cared for, for their survival.  I don't support separating babies from Mama's, unless they aren't being cared for.  So, while I like the use of this space, and the theory (protection), I'm bothered that the Mama(s) weren't brought into safety as well to care for their Babies.    

That all said, many thoughts come to mind.   One being, Why were these babies protected but so many before and now after are not?  Something needs to change with this protocol. 

After learning the four young Peachicks do not go outside to the yard because of predators, it was obvious this was not an option as is, so out for immediate use.  I wondered, if the yard could be fenced in to create a second predator proof space?  Then this could be a place for other Families (Mamas and Babies) to be protected until old enough to survive free roaming.  It would also create a space for rotating and one group wouldn't have to be exclusively locked in the coop. 

The other thought is, last year during the Newcastle Disease scare, all the Peafowl were rounded-up and taken off roam.  Maybe the space they were housed in then could be an option.  It just seems like there has got to be a place to make this happen, so these Mama's can raise their Babies and not see them fall victim to predators.   

I was so upset when I left, I didn't want to go the next day, but I wanted to check on the babies, and see if Sureshot was moved in. ... As of Wednesday, I was so happy to see all four babies had thankfully survived the night.  Not so happy to see that the enclosure was still empty. 

There was NO reason that Family had to be shoved out that day.  There is no excuse.  It's Shameful.

Praying they have stayed safe.  

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I know some people aren't going to like the title of this post, but the thing about that is I am not alone in these thoughts or most that I have.  After venting my upset to someone about what happened with the Peafowl Family,  I said, WHAT, is going on (here)?! They said, What is going on? I said, Right? They said, THAT's your blog title!  Then I saw someone who also grew up coming to the Zoo.  At one point during that conversation, they grabbed their head and said, What is wrong with the Zoo?  These weren't the only two instances.

I'm thankful I know many like minded people.  While it would be easier on our souls, we don't wear rose colored glasses.  Seriously, there have been so many things that just aren't right, when talking to each other, we all just know what is meant by that line.  It's unfortunate and sad.

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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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