Where Are The Animals? - No Animals Part One

If you've I'm following along with my recent post you'll know that this post was far down on the list of drafts that I had. I'm moving it up for a couple reasons.  One, because I'm still procrastinating on finishing two posts that are mind heavy and I figured I might as well do one's that I can get done as soon as possible. The other is that Tucker's (Hippo) departure is directly related to two very important issues.  The one I'm going to write about here in this series of posts, and the other, regarding the future of the whole area surrounding the Hippo pool. 

I first noticed an evacutation of Animals in 2010 when Zoo closed an area they call South Gate, located east of Hippo. I call it Hoofstock Alley, as there were three species of Hoofstock living there.  At the time, the Zoo allegedly wanted to limit areas they didn't want to maintain, so they put up fences in several places to close off those paths.  They certainly succeeded in not maintaining.  In Fall of 2017, I went on a Bird walk that included access to some behind the scenes areas.  South Gate was one of those areas.  I was shocked what a shambles the whole area looked like.  You could barely recognize it.  The truly disgusting thing was there were two Peccary living back there in barren enclosures.  At least they were side by side, but geez, that situation was not an appropriate habitat.  I felt like crying. 

When it was open, the area housed the Duiker Family, Muntjacs, and two Blackbucks who were housed separately, one a very senior lady, and the other an imprinted young male, Pokemon.  The Duikers were ripped apart multiple times, and housed in various places, the female going to the Savannah, The Muntjacs were transferred out, the lady Blackbuck passed away, and when a tree fell into poor Pokemon's enclosure, he was banished to a stall on the side of one of the Savannah barns.  Since he was imprinted he had a mental attachment to Humans, and thrived seeing and interacting with them.  In this new situation, he saw no one, not even other Animals, as he was surrounded by wooden walls.  He passed away after spending a few years staring only at those walls. 

Part of this area was renovated, not sure at whose expense and now houses an outsourced Therapy Horse enclosure.

I did a map of the Zoo that shows how it was ten years ago, versus now with all the closed areas.  It was meant for this post originally but since I've combined another post into this one, I think I'll post it separate, as I also have text of what was where, and that would make this post even longer.

In recent months we have seen both the Hippo and two Tigers leave.  Leaving three enclosures empty. ... Last June a Kangaroo and two Wallaroos were killed by an outside predator, and since, two other Kangaroos have passed away.  The Walk-A-Bout once filled with a dozen plus animals, now has only three residents. ... The Puente, is also seeing a dwindling population.  A  few years ago, we lost our Capybara, and the Andean Condor was taken off exhibit.  Over the last year, we lost the female Guanaco, her Daughter, the Rheas, and the Black Swan were all sent to other Zoos. ... Both Sea Lions passed away. I don't know how often sightless Pinnipeds are in need of a home, so I don't know what will come of that space.  I do think it needs to remain an option for a rescue species.  As well, it's a histortic icon. 

When exhibits close, it's been typical for them to sit vacant for years.  The Tapir passed in 2012 and that enclosure sat empty for six years.   There is an enclosure between Komodo yard, housing Tortoises and One Horned Rhino, that has been vacant since 2008!   I've said before, if they aren't going to use that as an exhibit area, that enclosure needs to be renovated to be a universal temporary holding area for Animals in need, whether rescues or Animals the Zoo hoards.  The Zoo has no such place for rescues, and as an Animal Care Facility, it should.

I had a separate post about the Animals being hoarded away off exhibit, but Im going to add it in here.

When the Primate Center was demolished in 2018 (see next post for Where the Monkeys went), some of the Residents went to live at the former FCC (Feline Conservation Center).  You can see the original layout on the signage in the lower left corner, in this screencap I took from a Zoo video, showing an archival photo of FCC.

My thought from memory going with this four pod layout, was that some might have been divided into two.  The last time I went there before it was emptied sometime in 2010 I think, it housed two adult Snow Leopards seperately, two adult Ocelots with two babies, two juvenile Ocelots, and three Fishing Cats, can't remember configuration.  The two Snows had a good amount of room, so I'm thinking they shared one half of a pod.  They eventually moved to Cat Grotto E, one female Fishing Cat to Lion House, all Ocelots were transferred out.  Eventually the two Fishing Cats left were transferred as well. 

Here's a current aerial view.  

FCC, now called WCC?, remained vacant for years, until male Snow Leopard Rigel was retired there, so the Zoo could recall male Snow Leopard, Ghurka, who was born there, to breed with female Niya.  Rigel thrived there for a few years, sadly both he and Ghurka passed away.  In 2017  when the AZA/SSP insisted on SFZoo having a breeding pair, they callously wanted to transfer Niya, a senior in her teens to another Zoo.  Thankfully, the Zoo pleaded to let Niya retire to FCC, where she remains today.  Kudos on that, one of the better things the Zoo has done.  Niya was the sole resident until the Zoo started acquiring Animals it had no place to properly house. 

First, was the female Condor Claudia, who came to the Zoo temporarilly while her Zoo built her a new home.  She lived at the Puente, for about a year.  What ended up happening is a bit scandalous in my opinion.  In short, Claudia never got back home. In 2017 she was moved off exhibit to FCC.  A mate was acquired for her, who was also moved into FCC.  To date, they continue to live side by side, but have never been introduced into the same enclosure.

Sometime in late 2018 the Fossa's, two other victims of hoarding, ended up at FCC, after an extended stay in the hospital and a time in some old rusty cages.  ... This is not how you house Animals!  

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vh5OaWnXoaQ&feature=youtu.be

but then Director Peterson thought it was ok to keep Orangutans in a caged tube for eight months.

I wrote about Claudia's and the Fossa's stories here:

http://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2018/03/sfzoo-stop-collecting-animals-you-have.html

Here's a photo from Turtle Back Zoo of the new home that was built for Claudia and future mate.  A home the SFZoo Director deprived her of, in favor of hoarding her and her mate away in cages.

So, back to the Primate Center take down debacle, that resulted in five Primate species being displaced.  Two Monkey species, the Black Howlers and Colobus, both relocated off exhibit to FCC.

That brings the FCC population to five individuals (one an adult Snow Leopard, two very large Birds, and two decent sized Mammals), a pair of Monkeys, and a family group of five Monkeys, all living in those four pods. ... One would think that sounded crowded, especially since an adult Snow Leopard needs a decent amount of room.  Then, before the new female Snow Leopard Ana gave birth in 2018, her mate Raj was also moved to FCC.  Then a year later, Ana was also moved into FCC!  Good grief, where are all these Animals fitting?!! 

Before Raj moved in, the Zoo was offering tours of FCC.  The kicker in this is, they called it Secret Safari and charged $20 for Members, can't remember how much for nonMembers.  So, they hoard away Animals that should be on exhibit, aka on view with price of admission, and then charge people extra to see them.  While Therapy Horses that are not part of the Zoo collection are publicly exhibited.  

Anyway, lucky for me, since it gave me the opportunity to see Niya again and visit with my friend Claudia.  As well as see for myself what was going on there.  The place was pretty unrecognizable from what it once was.  

I almost cried seeing Claudia, after a year, she remembered me and ran over to the fence and greeted me with her full wing dance and song.  I told her I loved her and missed her.  Hopefully one day the Zoo will make good on their promise and she and the male get a home where Claudia can have the social interaction she needs.

I felt the area Niya was in needed more space.  She may very well have had the two adjoining spaces, before the Fossa moved in.  The Fossa were a breeding pair at Denver Zoo, yet here they have been separated.  I can't even imagine what the space situation is now with two additional adult Snow Leopards there.   I have no idea if they are living side by side with Niya or hoarded to another area I didn't even see on the tour.  Hopefully with that Snow Leopard Expansion at least one of them will move back down to the main Zoo.  If Raj has been living next to Niya, I hope he stays so she has like species company.  That all said, with the two empty Big Cat Grottos, at least one should be moved to Grotto D.  There is a door in the finger wall from the exisiting Snow Leopard enclosure for access.  Although with some boarding to block the Lions, they could occupy the Lion House night quarters.  Those Grottos should not stay empty, and allegedly there are no plans to bring in more Big Cats.

That whole area looks like a ghost town, especially now with no Hippo.  Very bad planning on management's part.  The Zoo is dying under this administration.

Ok I think that's it for now.  I'm exhausted.  Did this all from memory. No energy to reread notes I've taken over the years.  Thankful to delete it from my mind.  Moving on to part two of this.  I'm hoping to finish it this weekend.

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