Recent Visit Vibe - Fails and Let-Downs

As noted in my previous post, the Zoo got re-accredited.  That news just compounded a real feeling of despair about the Zoo.

My membership expired on April 30th and I didn't renew it.  The first time in my adult life that I have not had a membership aside from the two times the Zoo's Director, Tanya Peterson took my membership away because she didn't like my opinions.  I'll renew some time in the future (unless Peterson takes it away again after reading these final blog posts), but for now, I don't feel like I need to go that often. 

About a month ago I went to the Zoo, and I hadn't been there in a couple weeks.  I've had to change this time frame a few times, as I've put this post down several times while in progress.  As I walked around,  I felt drear.   My initial endearing to the Zoo had started out for me as a place of solace, and became a place of joy.   I still feel connected to the Animal Friends, but seeing the Zoo fall into non-stop ruins is tough.  Everything current and past kind of swirled around and grabbed me as I walked among all the empty enclosures, closed paths, construction, and the lack of Animals out and left in the collection for that matter.  I just thought Wow, this place is really a downer.    

I recently ran into a staffer that I hadn't seen or talked to in a couple months.  They were like, ...Haven't seen you around.  I said, I'm going through a really tough time.  They said they were sorry.  I continued that I didn't come for almost two months and since then I haven't come that often.   When I do, I just want to come and wear sunglasses, cry if I need to, just see the zoo friends, and have a little bit of peace.  They said, "Well don't come here for that".  

It's not right that this is how someone who works there feels.  Unfortunately, this person is not alone.  Staffers, my friends who are Members, we're just all disgusted to see a place that we care about spiral downward and nobody reaching out to help it.  

It's frustrating that its gotten to this point.  I just look around the Zoo and I just think nobody cares and when I say nobody, I'm talking about our Director Tanya Peterson, the Zoological Society and the Rec & Park.  The later two entities who are supposed to have a managing position, but have not at any point in the fourteen years that I have been involved with monitoring the place.   Nobody of authority cares that about the rampant, long-lasting and exhausting mismanagement that's gone on there since 2008.  I will detail more about that power structure in a later post.

I mentioned above some of the things that brought on that feeling of drear.   I will detail some of the things in regard to construction in my next posts.   The changes and builds have been an irritation because I don't think they have been planned with the Zoo lay-out and future in mind.  Those projects are mostly funded out of deep pocket or locked donations.   The other irritation that I've already wrote about is the lack of fundraising.   

The Zoo crying poor at every turn for needs, is a shameful broken record.   As I walk around the Zoo and I see all the things that are needed, a lot of them small things in the grand scheme of things, like a couple thousand here and there to finish the netting at Flamingos, so babies don't fly out, install netting over Meerkats and Prairie Dogs to protect babies from predators,  adding barrier deterrents at Bears, Black Rhino, and Hippo, all among so many other things.  These are the type of things that could have gotten done with Community fundraising efforts, but our Zoo hasn't built such a community and we don't have anyone who continually thinks of ways to raise funds because apparently raising funds in any way other than their annual ZooFest is something that the Zoo doesn't want to do or can't do because no one has the capability to think of fundraising ideas.   Society Donors get Wants done.  A Community will help you get Needs taken care of.  Not having that continuously for fourteen years have left the Zoo in a dire position.

In January I wrote an extensive post about the whole fundraising issue.  I mentioned the top seven earners and questioned why not one of them including Director Peterson has had any ideas to raise funds.  It bothers me when I see needs that can't be met.  One of those top earners even has "fundraising" in his job description.  This person draws a full-time paycheck of $166,00 as of 2020 from the Zoo, yet there is nothing aside from the annual ZooFest in the way of fundraising.  It's not only disturbing, it's gross mismanagement.

I know there are people who don't like what I write in my blog posts.  Well, I don't like the downward spiral of the state of a place I care about.  A place I've been coming to since I was a babie.

Me and my Mom at the Zoo Farm 1964

Me and my Dad Storyland at the Zoo 1964

I don't like having seen and known about Animal Welfare issues over the years, culminating in the Zoo Director thinking it's ok to let a species that's shares our DNA live in caged tubes.  

I don't like seeing the low morale over the years that has led to too many good Keepers leaving.  Initially I think the alleged job security threats by Director Peterson wreaked havoc, but in more recent times, it seems to be just a let down felt from Director Peterson in her lack of caring about the Animals, the Zoo, and generally doing what's best for it to thrive.   Alot of the same things that I have griped about for over a decade. 

I don't like seeing Keepers who work their butts off taking care of the Animals, as their team is short staffed while the Administrative staffers aren't shorted and doing exactly what to pull full-time paychecks?   

Over the years, there have been a number of people at the Zoo, both staff and volunteers, who have viewed me as the enemy.  Those who are two-faced/talk behind my back,  they probably learned from Director Peterson who has allegedly made-up flat-out lies about me.  One in particular, a Docent, who is also part of the Zoological Society and represents such on the Joint Zoo Committee panel.  I was told by several people that she warned them not to talk to me because "I write bad things about the Zoo on my blog".  One day she was standing behind me and I heard her say the same to another Docent.  I had never spoke to this woman, but took the opportunity to ask her why she felt it necessary to talk about me to other people, when she didn't even know me.  She looked right at me and lied.  Said, "I don't".  I told her I heard her, and she repeatedly lied, before she said, "What are you going to do about it?"  Seriously, well, I'm writing about her, and I could have sooner, and I also could have included her name.  My first draft included it, but it doesn't do anything to name her or anyone else, like the Staffer whose job it is to fundraise and yet doesn't.  It's embarrassing for an 80 year old woman to be school yard gossiping.  Good Grief, at least have some self-respect if you can't have class.

All I have to say to her and anyone else that thinks that, ...

If you think I write/say bad things about the Zoo, then you should take a good look at those things, because I write the truth.  

While noting my experience with jerky people, I'll note that there have also been a few who have done things just to be mean.  Like the staffer who when I asked what was happening, at the new Chimp yard.  "Are they going to let the Chimps into the yard?"  She answered, "No. They are just doing, (adjustments or something)"  I said, "Oh but the Keeper is putting out food."  I thought that would give her the opportunity to rephrase.  No chance, she stuck with her answer.  She was trying to get me to just leave, which would have had me miss experiencing the Chimps entering their new yard for the very first time.  I wouldn't have, because I already knew was happening, and I just asked to see what she would say, because I had already pegged her as someone who would lie and I was right.  I later asked her why she lied and she ignored me.  I said, "Well it's just ridiculous.  There was no reason to lie."  She turned and snapped at me, "I don't have to talk to you!"   Again, this is another person who has never spoken to me, so does not even know me.  One thing she does know, I'm the reason those Chimps are even still at our Zoo.  So just, Wow, on trying to deny me that experience with them.   

I know I maybe got off on a tangent abit off from post topic, but there are three things that I can say to all those who have a problem with me...

First, I obviously do not care what you think.  

Second, At least I have proven that I care about the Animals, the Zoo and it's future.

And, Finally, I was here before you and I'll be here after you. 

I just hope we get a new Director in the near future so we have a San Francisco Zoo to come to.

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

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

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