Lifting Some Weights On This Last Eve of 2020

Yesterday I had the thought to write a year end post.  Not really about what's happened at the Zoo this year, but more about my feelings and where I am with blogging. 

I had planned to once again get to all my posts in draft done by now, at least a few before this one, but that didn't happen.  It will happen soon, I can feel it!  But, if we have another year like this one, that soon may not be til 2022!

I didn't make notes on this, so I'm just writing what flows out.  2020 was, to say the least, challenging for most of us, in different ways.  While my most cherished out of the house activity, going to the Zoo, was taken away for too long, even being back there, was not without frustration. Thankfully there are the Zoo Friends.  I think one of the biggest issues, was not about what's happening, or not happening on the grounds, but the lack of ambition there, that seems to be the only way I can describe the months of missed opportunities for fundraising and outreach, to not come out of the place.  There are those that still think I'm the enemy of the Zoo, when in actuality, I'm probably one, if not the only person who has constantly had bettering the Zoo, on my mind daily for over eleven years.  I continually added ideas, most that would raise funds, to my notebook during the first shutdown, wondering why the Zoo wasn't doing anything.  It's frustrating, especially when you can literally feel the gain and not just financially from these ideas.  The Zoo continually cries poor, so why aren't there things being done?  There should be creative ideas coming out of the place. The top seven salaries at the Zoo amount to over a Million Dollars.   At the very least, Why aren't those seven people coming up with ideas?  

So before attempting to think about this post, I thought I should sort out all my thoughts from the last year. I'm a list maker by nature, so I make notes constantly.  I use the Facebook Messenger as my portal, then I transfer them to a notepad document and sort into subject.  It's very time consuming, and after fourteen hours yesterday, I'm still not done and losing patience.  For those (yes there are some!) who think I live and breathe to write "bad stuff" (actual quote!)  about the Zoo, I don't.  This is not fun for me.  I continue to put myself through the upset of it, because I feel strongly that things need to be documented.  So here I am in hour seventeen, and I just paused sorting, as my mind went to this post, and if I didn't go with it, it might not get done today.

Part of what prompted this post, was this literal time and place in what's happened at our SFZoo, or rather what has not happened.   

A few weeks ago, I came across this photo from one of my blog posts and I thought, disgraceful that the Orangutans are still in the same place as they were exactly a year ago.  There is NO excuse.

I have had an Orangutan update to do since the first shutdown re-opening, so I wasn't going to add more to my load by writing another to complain about the Orangutans situation.  Then it happened.  It's like they can't help themselves.  The Zoo uses Amoi in a Holiday "ad" and outrageously uses words that refer to "home", when the Orangutans still don't even have a HOME of their own.  I would say, How dare they, as that's what I thought, but in all seriousness, how do they think that's ok?  Do they think that no one notices that the Orangutans don't have a home?

I want to note two things from this year, in reference to what the Zoo obviously thinks is ok.  Someone sent me something during the first shutdown, that I wasn't going to use even though I found it just awful.  Then, in the wake of the Maki kidnapping, awful happened again, and I was going to use that in a post, and then, per usual, I got behind, and then adding another post about about another awful thing just bogged me down.

So, this was the first thing. As I said, sent to me, someone pulled from Director Peterson's Twitter account.  Wasn't going to do anything with it, but considering the shame of the Orangutans still not having a home, it's appropriate.

There is nothing " norm" about not providing a designated home for Beings in your care.

Considering that the Orangutans were brought here over a year and a half ago, and that the only outdoor access the male had for eight months was the Skytrail, this is disturbing.  This is mocking the situation.  I get the distancing gag, but to use a shameful housing situation you created in a comical way is really bad.

It's a possibility I will be retaliated against for my opinion in regard to posting this.  It wouldn't be right and it wouldn't be legal, but its happened before.  ...  One should expect, if something is public, there will be opinions.  Voicing them is not a crime, it's in fact a right in this Country.  I'm not forcing my opinion on anyone, just saying how this and other things I write about make me feel.  Not only that, in general if someone says or does something, that reflects them, not what others opinion of it is.  So if they're confident with it, it shouldn't matter what anyone else thinks.  Lastly, I talk to alot of people, Friends who are Members, Staff, non-Zoo invested people,  I get other people's opinions on things I have issue with.  I'm not alone with how these things, and everything I write about, makes me feel.  

The second thing, was this.  

I get that its a fundraising thing, but I think it's in very poor taste to use Maki's traumatic experience in this way.  They aren't creative enough to come up with other ideas, so they pimp out this poor guy's kidnapping?  I can't even with this lack of conscience.

Additionally, I was under the impression that the Madagascar project was fully funded by the Board Member who wanted it.  Allegedly, Seven Million Dollars was donated and considering the long list of other things that the Zoo Animals NEED ahead of this vanity project, not a penny more should be spent.  I'm not unreasonable, and I understand, plans and costs are fluid, but then you have to make the decision to rework them to fit the budget.  Not ask for more money, for an already extravagant WANT Not NEED. 

Note that I'm not against a Lemur expansion, although with our exhibit allegedly being the largest in a North American Zoo, I don't think its a necessity.  That said, I didn't even think expanding the Lemurs was part of the original plan.

I have several blog posts about the Madagascar project, dating back three years as of this coming February.  It actually encompasses most that I think is problematic at the Zoo.  I think the procrastination writing it is based in that.  There's just so much to say.  

In fact most of the posts are the same ones in the queue from the closing of last year.  2020 has basically been a wash.  Other than the Orangutans still not having their own home, not many huge new irritations, that aren't Pandemic related.  So wrapping things up isn't that upsetting, they are the same things I've been sitting on a year plus.  It's that they are still issues a year later.

So, while I didn't know what thoughts would flow as I wrote this post, turns out, I've been able to lift a few thought weights, which is much needed.  

Wishing (most) everyone a peaceful and safe New Year.  

Please do the simple things that will help us all see a less scary 2021.  

Cover your cake hole.

Don't get up in other's space.

Sanitize after touching shit out the house.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

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

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*