Zoo Lifts Mask Requirement at Covid Vulnerable Species Enclosures

I've been working on three posts at the same time, since last weekend, I just haven't felt like I've had it in me to put all the elements together to finish them.  I did just finish watching The Rise of Skywalker, and while what I really want to do is get lost in more non-reality and re-watch the entire Star Wars saga from beginning (I hadn't seen the original since opening day in 1977), I'm going to try to finish the three posts this weekend.  

I wanted this next post to be a follow-up on the Accreditation curiosity, but this masking situation came my way first (on Monday April 18).  It was followed a few days later by the result of the the Accreditation status.  I thought I would have posted about it last weekend, but didn't.  The Zoo has finally made note of it in their recent Newsletter out yesterday, so most of you already know.  Our San Francisco Zoo was re-Accredited by the AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums), for another five years.  My post will be about why I think this is a disappointing and disturbing outcome.

So, Monday April 18,  a friend was at the Zoo and let me know there were no longer any Mask Required signs at the two Covid Vulnerable Animal enclosure areas (Chimpanzees and Snow Leopards).   In my opinion this is completely Irresponsible.  It’s just another fail, in a long line of what I consider to be Animal Welfare issues at our Zoo.  

This move by the Zoo, coincided with California downgrading their mask mandate for schools, and the end to the airline mask mandate, by a Florida Judge that same day.

Let’s be clear, the Zoo can ask anything of it’s visitors, and should, especially if it’s something that is considered a health risk.  If they care.  I have illustrated the lack of care in regard to protecting the Chimpanzees from the first day the Zoo re-opened from the first shutdown and subsequently the Snow Leopards, once it became news that Big Cats, were contracting Covid, and as Snow Leopards in Zoos were dying from the virus.  It took over a year to get decent signage at Chimpanzees, and only recently has there been more attention to monitoring the enclosures areas for adherence to the mask requirement.  So, why stop now?

Did I miss something?  Is the Pandemic over?  Are there no longer Covid cases being reported?  Good grief, just because government officials are once again playing yo-yo with mask mandates, it does not mean the virus isn’t out there.  Officials also have given the public a false sense of security and alluding that the vaccine is immunity.  Anyone with half a brain who wants to stay safe will continue to mask up, regardless of whether someone says you don’t have to.  It’s up to each person to do what they feel is safe for them.  Through these last two years, no one is going to protect you, except you.  That said, Who’s protecting the Animals? 

Captive Animals depend on their caregivers to protect them.  In a Zoo setting, the Zoo Director is the policy maker.  So I ask our SFZoo Director Tanya Peterson, Why did you lift the mask requirement at these two Covid Vulnerable Species enclosures?  

Considering what I’ve witnessed in the past, it is my opinion, that the Zoo powers were anxiously waiting to have something mandated (read, an excuse) to back up a decision like this.  I would bet they couldn’t wait to not have to monitor people in those areas.  In my opinion, it comes down to laziness. Outside of Keepers and some other concerned Staffers, no one else seemed to take the vulnerability seriously.  It always seemed like it was a hassle to even bother with it.   

I had not planned to visit the Zoo that week of April 18, but I needed to see and document the no signage situation myself.  The day I went out there, visitors were leaning over barriers, within feet of the enclosure fencing at both Chimpanzees and Snow Leopards.  That is to be expected, considering there are no rules in place.

What I didn’t expect was to see two Keepers with no masks walk into and through the Chimpanzee area.  One Keeper who works with the Big Cats, and another who is newer and since I haven’t been going much, I don’t know what department he works in.  He walked through the Chimp path and was close to the fencing, when he coughed, not even covering his mouth.  The Cat Keeper, works with Covid Vulnerable Species, he really should no better.   I was shocked and disturbed at the disregard for the health of the Chimpanzees.   They should both be ashamed, but the Cat Keeper even more so.   I have to wonder now what the policy is for Keepers?  Are they still required to wear masks while working with those Animals?  I noticed the Ape Staff still wearing N95s, but in light of the disregard for the Chimps, what is going on at Cats?

My words of warning in previous posts remain in effect.  The San Francisco Zoo had better hope no Animals contract Covid.

Not posting in a timely manner, sometimes works out ok, as new information comes my way.  Sometimes I use it for separate posts, sometimes it really lends to what I'm currently working on, like with this subject.  Seems almost everyday the past two weeks, I've heard something that supports my thoughts about this.

When I’m in the car, I listen to news/talk radio.  I usually catch the KCBS has a segment called Ask An Expert, a few times a week.  Throughout the last couple years, they have exclusively had on medical professionals to speak and answer questions related to Covid.  There were two separate segments the week of the 18th that I want to quote from, as in light of the masking situation at our Covid Vulnerable Animals, I was saying Yes! to these Dr's words.

The expert on April 19 was Dr Panagis Galiatsatos, John Hopkins School of Medicine.  The host noted that because of the increase in home testing, where results aren't reported and the decrease in PCR testing, the case numbers can't be trusted as they are not accurate.  In response, Dr Galiatsatos said, "... a key piece of data has been robbed of us... Just pretend the whole world has COVID-19 again, and do your best to not catch it... This means still wearing a face mask out in public. Even if the public health requirements don't take this into account, individuals should...  We still need to be more vigilant, ...it doesn't need to be a disruption, we can have minor inconveniences to know we are protecting everyone during this pandemic."

The expert on April 20 was Dr Robert Siegel, Dept of Microbiology and Immunology at Stanford.  The host lead-in was, "Mask Mandates are going out the window across the Country, but should you still wear one?" ... Dr Siegel responded, "Despite the Mask Mandate, nothing has changed in terms of the actual Virus. For me I plan to continue wearing a mask."  He continued,  "I don't think that the overturning of the mask mandate was based on public health considerations, I think it was considerations of whether or not they should be forcing people to wear masks. ... (Regarding the rise in cases...) "...people have changed their behavior and are now doing alot of things they weren't previously, so the risk is going up... they are letting their guard down, or to be more metaphoric, they are letting their masks down." ... (Regarding outdoor exposure...) "The thing that is transmitting the virus is when you are breathing the air of infected individuals... so if you want to stay safe you need to avoid being in the airspace of people whose status you don't know.  If you are in the air space of someone infected, you can STILL get infected outside"

On Tuesday this past week, Dr Fauci was quoted saying . "We are certainly, in this country, out of the pandemic phase".   I was like is he crazy?  Which is not the first time I've thought Fauci had steered Americans wrong.  He must have gotten blow-back from that nonsense, as the next day he said, "We are in a different moment,... By no means does that mean the pandemic is over".   Good grief.  

This weeks local News Article Titles:

April 26 Bay Area infections up 110% in one month

April 26 Vice President Kamala Harris contracted Covid.  She was vaccinated and double boosted.  

April 28 Ruby Princess cruise ship reports 37 Coronavirus cases after docking in San Francisco

April 30 SF Giants confirm Covid outbreak, five players sidelined.  All Vaccinated and double boosted.

I heard a quote on Thursday by a BART Spokesperson, in relation to reinstating a mask mandate.  "It's a small thing to ask our riders to do,..."   So I say, Why can't the Zoo do the same?  It IS a small thing to ask the visitors (and apparently some staffers) to do, to keep our animals healthy and safe. ... Again, IF they care.

The Vaccine is not Immunity.  The Virus can still be contracted.  The Virus can still be transmitted.  Even Outside!!!

So, I repeat the question to San Francisco Zoo Director Tanya Peterson, Why did you lift the Mask Requirement at these two Covid Vulnerable Species enclosures?  

In my opinion the removal of this Zoo Mandate, continues to put the Chimpanzees and Snow Leopards at risk.

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