New This and That - Small Item Notes

I forgot a notation and a few items in my last This and That.  As well, of course there are also a couple new ones.  Looking like this may be a regular feature post.

>I posted this pic at the empty Hippo enclosure.  

This is what I wrote.

What I forgot to comment on was the wording at the bottom, "Please excuse our mess as we remodel this area".  If there are allegedly no funds for the Orangutans to even get a new structure, let alone anything new FOR them, where are funds coming from to remodel this area?  Maybe this is just an empty statement, like the one that was up at the Andean Bear enclosure for over a year before anything was done. 

Fast Forward... Curiously, this week I noticed there were boards up in the enclosure path the leads from the Hippo pool to the bedroom, and sand piles in the back.  So, maybe they are working quicker than in previous times.  If so, why can't they be transparent about what the plan is?  And as stated,  super curious about where the funds then came from. 

Back to what I previously wrote (Oct 10).  Curiously (but not really), the Zoo posted this to their Twitter on Oct 20.

>An item I forgot was about the fence at the WalkAbout.  This has irritated me for near a decade.  Seriously, it has to have been at least seven years, I'd say more since the back of the enclosure got damaged in a storm.  Trees at the back, that boarder the perimeter fence on Sloat, toppled into the enclosure.  The large trunks were chopped up and some removed, but you can still see alot of debris behind the fence that was put up.  The fence is my issue.  I hate a chain link fence IN an animal enclosure.  This was put up as what I thought was temporary with mesh tarping.  Hasn't changed since.  Could no natural fence be put in place? Bamboo or some other wood?  And like I said, you can see the debris behind it.  Why was this never cleared out?  It just looks sloppy.  This used to be one of the nicest enclosures.  Now with only three Animals, and this fence to look at, it's even sadder.

>Tree massacre at Bald Eagle.  This is disgraceful.  Before Sureshot was moved into this enclosure, she lived on the island in the lake next to Grizzly Gulch.  The tree that was her home base, was full branched and provided her shade, shelter and places to hide.  When she was supposed to be moved to this enclosure (former Patas Monkey), her move in day was postponed because there was not enough tree covering for her needs.  So, imagine my irritation when I walked up to see the tree she spends most her time by has been butchered. There is no shade, no shelter and no places to hide.  Who made this call?  Management?  Horticulture?  BIG FAIL!

And they know it was a mistake, because a shade cloth has been added to the area where it was once full branched. 

Tree with full branches

Tree after massacre

Sureshot wondering...

I asked Sureshot what happened to her tree and she answered me!  https://youtu.be/SXk5r6IohYA

>The new paint in Gauhati's enclosure.  Personally, I hate this green paint.  I hated it the first time it was done years ago, and I still hate it.  Aside from hating it, I don't get the choice of color.  Why can't the walls be painted the same beige color as the other side?  Painting the walls that color or another color in the natural pallet of his skin color would solve the biggest of my irks, his body getting green paint all over it when he rubs against the wall. Sure he'd still get paint, but a lighter (so he doesn't blend in with wall) color closer to his natural color would be better.  Maybe I'm just being picky, but that green on him really bothers me, always has.  They could still make it colorful if that's what they were going for, by painting the top part of the walls, above his body line, with tree tops, even painting tree trunks on the lower part, in a skin neutral color.  

>Additional Conservation Signs.  I had this pic when I wrote my last This and That and noted the larger sign at the entrance.  I didn't bother with this one, but now I am because there are two!  Both are at Lemurs.  They are approx 11x17, bigger than any sign that's ever been posted in reference to barrier abuse.  Shameful.  But hey, gotta look good for Accreditation inspection, the hell with someone possibly falling into a code red animal enclosure and getting one of our animals murdered. 

They could have used funds to replace this sign this sign at Big Cats, that has been worn like this for over two years.  Maybe they are going for shabby chic.

>Water Filling Stations.  Using funds to purchase these has been an issue for me for the near three years since I first heard about it. Six months before the Orangutans got here, the Zoo posted to their Social Media a plea for donations to help buy more water filling stations.  There was already one (maybe two).  The cost was either 10 or 15,000 dollars.  Not only outrageous to use funds in this way, but to solicit donations for it?  The Zoo should not be focusing funds on anything but NEEDS.  After the Orangutans got here I questioned the then Deputy Director, who's goal it was to get these fountains.   He could not grasp the logical presentation of facts as to why this was ridiculous. When the Zoo reopened from one of the shutdowns, there was a newly installed watering station.  So, we still had Orangutans living in caged tubes, because as that same person tried to reason to me, 'it takes money',  but we had a watering fountain that upwards of ten thousand dollars was spent on.  Someone help me, because my effing brain hurts.  That money could have paid for netting at Prairie Dogs, Meerkats, and finished at Flamingos, so maybe we could stop witnessing Mallard Ducklings getting eaten by Gulls.

Posts referenced as related to water station issue

https://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2018/12/enrichment-and-soliciting-donations-for.html

https://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2020/02/oakland-zoo-bans-single-use-plastic-why.html

My next post will be about Fundraising.  Stay tuned. 

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