Remember When Zoo Director Tanya Peterson Had "Deceased" Noted On My Membership Account?

If you read yesterday's post about my concerns regarding the Zoo's lone Lion Jasiri, then you know for the sake of time and energy, I've decided to abandon all posts that don't illustrate the mismanagement by Director Tanya Peterson.  The Zoo has been in a state of turmoil in so many different ways under her direction since she took the reins in 2008.   The list is long, animal welfare issues, not taking advice from animal care professionals, firing anyone who dares to differ with her (thus fostering a fear of job loss), and creating low morale among staff, among other nonsense that has left the Zoo circling the drain. The last two causing the Zoo to lose Animal Care Staff who were educated and dedicated to the Animals and the Zoo.  That all said, every notation still exists fifteen years later.   That is why I'm choosing to only document the fails.  

Fifteen years is too long for this continued downfall.  Our San Francisco Zoo will not last with Tanya Peterson as Director.  It's time to replace her before she ruins the Zoo any further.  

Yesterday I was searching for something on Facebook and this old post came up.  Usually this is not something I would think interesting for a post, but I thought to look at the blog for that time frame and there were a couple blog posts that contain so many points that are valid in today's discussion about mismanagement and fails.  

from my facebook

Yea the following thing was insanity.  They don't follow people tormenting the animals, but they followed me.  What a joke and waste of resources.  I also later found out they had a code name for me.  Literally laughing as I write this.  The absurdity of the energy Director Tanya Peterson put forth just to silence me from being a Voice for the Animals and speaking the truth.

You know I'm long-winded so these are just a few excerpts.  If you're interested in all the tasty bits, please read the full posts.

blog post from June 5, 2017 ... 

https://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2017/06/my-sfzoo-membership-revoked-agfacebook

blog post from June 12, 2017 ...  

https://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2017/06/sfzoo-whos-real-worst.html

This second post really should be read in full, my screencaps barely touch on all the mismanagement issues I documented in this one.  So many wrongs that were put forth in the first many years of Tanya Peterson's Directorship of our San Francisco Zoo.

The list of offenses continues to grow.

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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

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Concerns For Our Lone Lion - How Long Will Jasiri Be Left Without A Companion?

I had a few other posts in draft to put before this one, but after another visit to the Zoo yesterday, this can't wait.  I need to document this situation now.   It's unfortunate because the other posts were Animal Updates, but energy with not right Zoo stuff is near zero and has been for many years, that's why I still haven't gotten to the Madagascar bullshit after five years.  I need to wrap up all these posts that document and illustrate the management fail by Director Tanya Peterson.  Hopefully someone who cares will see them and the Zoo will see brighter days under a new Director.   

I apologize for not being able to make those Animal Update posts, right now, this is most pressing and obviously there can't be any truly smooth times at the Zoo for that to happen.  

Two of the things I was going to write about was the passing of my sweet friend Sukari (female Lion) and how thankful I was to be a part of her life & a pleasant visit I recently had.  Three weeks ago, after hearing about Sukari, I went to the Zoo to talk to her spirit.  I am a believer that the spirits are always around, and it's important for me to have a moment after their passing to tell them how important they are to me.  I still talk to many of our passed friends when I'm at their former homes.   

It was a nice morning and not many visitors, so I had some time alone with Sukari's spirit and her son Jasiri.  As I stood there, watching Jasiri sleeping, so many questions swirled my mind.   The main one being, when will Jasiri get a companion.

I always worry about the survivors, especially when one is left alone.   The thought to bring in a companion, is not to replace Sukari, which could never be done, but because Lions are social beings, who need to live with other Lions.  Seeing him alone has sent me on a course of major upset.  

Last October, there was a notation in the Joint Zoo Committee Meeting minutes that the Zoo was seeking approval to acquire two females from the Oregon Zoo.  Reading this and knowing it was in preparation for the future of course made me uncomfortable, but also comforted that Jasiri's future needs would be taken care of.  I don't read the minutes every month for the same reason I don't closely follow the Zoo's social media.  There's always something that's going to irritate me.  So, I didn't see this until the end of December.  I immediately checked the Oregon Zoo socials to try and learn who the Lions were, but they seemed to have several females, so I emailed them.   I asked which two females were being transferred.  Their reply was none.  This was curious.

On my visit the following week, I saw Animal Staff and Maintenance in the newly finished Cat Yard.  It seemed they were doing a safety inspection, so I thought maybe the girls were already here in quarantine.   I later found out they had not yet arrived.   I was happy to hear new girls were still coming, so when the time came Jasiri would not be alone.  

Here's a video I made a few months ago of the finished Cat Yard expansions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aC6yWTq2sI&t=71s

I don't like to think of losses at all, but once an Animal reaches a certain age, while we hope and pray they continue to thrive and push the limits of life expectancy, in the case of a social being like Lions, thoughts to the future have to take place.

Over the next couple weeks, each time I've gone to check on Jasiri and see how he's doing, he's been sleeping.   The new yard remains empty.  Allegedly there are no new Lions on the way.  I'm now very concerned with how long Jasiri will remain alone.

The work on the new yard began last June, around the time that Sukari celebrated her 20th Birthday.   Twenty is a huge milestone for Cats, and I would have hoped a search for additional Lions would have started then, if not sooner.  Early last year when the first cat yard expansion started (finish time was approx six months), the Zoo knew they would have a new yard for additional Lions in the next year.  Acquisitions should have been secured.  Yes, that is here nor there now, just noting that the Zoo could have been proactive earlier.  

So here we are closing in on a month after losing his Mother and Jasiri is still alone, with no companion allegedly even identified.   It's beyond sad.

Here are my questions:

*Is the Zoo actively looking for companions? ...  They have to have known since before Sukari's passing that those two from Oregon weren't coming.

*Does the Lion SSP (Species Survival Plan) help? ...  I thought they did, as they manage the Lion population in North American Zoos. 

*Will the Zoo be passive and just leave Jasiri alone? ...  I heard a couple years ago, after the Zoo lost it's two Tigers to San Diego, that allegedly Director Tanya Peterson did not plan to ever bring in new Tigers or Lions.  Is that about to happen?

There have been too many instances of mismanagement by the Director, and this is just another in the long list throughout her fifteen year reign.   I hope that Jasiri will not end up another Animal who's needs suffer because of her uncaring attitude toward the non-human lives that live at our San Francisco Zoo. 

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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

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The Continuing Saga Of The Disgraceful Perimeter Fence

I wrote a blog post in August of 2021, so almost three years ago now.  It detailed my issues with the fence, how the Zoo (read Director Tanya Peterson) probably has no money to use on the fence, both because of no real fundraising and misappropriates funds when they do have them, like building pocket gardens everywhere.  I think the gardens are beautiful, but that is not the issue.  Thousands, and I mean upwards of several thousand dollars are spent on each one.  I've bought garden supplies, my guess would be some of those gardens have cost close to $8,000+  This is an Animal Care Facility and any extra funds should go to Animal Needs before the Directors Wants.  With that in mind, it's not surprise that the perimeter fence is not even a thought.   

At the time of that post I had noted that I my attention to the fence started two years prior, when I started parking farther up Sloat in some new spaces by the old entrance.  In June of 2020, I made a video that captured the condition of the fence in full, as well documented a fence being built around the perimeter of the Botanical Gardens, funded by the Rec and Park.   Since the Zoo falls under the Rec and Park Dept, I contacted the project manager to see if the Zoo would be eligible for a new fence, at least in the area where the fence in crumbling.  The guy asked his Manager and the answer was No, the Zoo needs to take care of it themselves.

The Rec and Parks middle finger to the Zoo is no surprise, as they are negligent in other responsibilities that involve the Zoo.  The Botanical Gardens is managed independently just like the Zoo, yet they got a new fence.  My only guess is because they are actually IN the Park, and the Park always makes sure their internal spaces look good (except for the Bison Meadow, which is only recently being tended to after years of neglect).   The Zoo gets shit because it's at the end of the world.  No one cares.

Anyway, enough backstory synopsis from the previous post.  That post covered other issues, so I have screen-capped my words if anyone wants to read in full.

Here is the link to the video I mentioned above. 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lB6-a5o1R-U

From then til now,  I have cursed the fence situation every time I pass by it.  It's shameful that the fence has been left to deteriorate to this point.  It makes the Zoo look downtrodden and like it's in a third world country.  I don't know if this is the original fence and pillars, but it looks like it, and it's definitely been breaking down the whole fifteen years Tanya Peterson has been the Director. 

My first visit of 2023 has the state of the fence even worse with a new issue, and the two following visits in February, leaving the fence is the saddest state yet. 

The new issue is out of control graffiti.  Obviously, the whole city is out of control with bad behavior, but something needs to happen here.  For those who haven't seen it, here is the video I made on January 8, 2023.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=jH0-9jA7ee0&feature=share

my pic of just part of the fence

At the end of 2022, I read about a new thing the city was doing.  Instead of previously holding building owners financially responsible for graffiti removal, there was a no cost program.  

When I saw the state of the fence in January, I emailed and sent photos to the Dept of Public Works in regard to this Abatement Program and asked if the Zoo would be eligible.  I got no answer.  I sent another email inquiring about a response.  Still no reply.  When I returned to the Zoo on February 13 and saw even more Graffiti, I called 311 and explained the situation and that I had never received a reply.  I asked if they thought the Zoo would be eligible.  They read through their info and said it seemed they would and they put in a service request, stating it would be cleaned in thirty days.  I asked if they would send DPW a message saying I would like a reply just to confirm the Zoo's eligibility status.  It's March 15th and as of two days ago, the graffiti is still there and I have not received a response to my inquiry.

Again, very poor of the City of San Francisco to not try and help a Zoo that they own, that is on City property, and that carries their name.  Once again, because the Zoo is so far from the geographical area that concerns them, apparently no one seems to care.

Now, for what the Zoo can do.  In my opinion, unless there's some valid reason, it looks like that whole fence line with the old wood and broken concrete pillars can come down.   There is a chain link fence behind it, and there are other points along the perimeter that only have a chain link barrier.  Personally it would have been nice if the Rec and Park had put a second barrier along the whole perimeter of the Zoo, of that nice fencing they put at Botanical Gardens, but I digress to a fantasy.  The chain link fence behind the shambles looks in decent shape.  They could add tarping to the inside of it, and a cinder-block type barrier at the exterior base to prevent dig holes. 

That all said, there also needs to be some attention to the perimeter that is at the side, where the fence turns into the Zoo.   I recently noticed this additional issue that I think happened with all the winds, the sand has accumulated to the point where a mound has formed and it's almost level with the fence.   That is breachable by human and wildlife trespassers.  That part of the fence and the line that extends into the parking lot, needs some inside worn tarping replaced.  And it seems it would be better on inside of fence??

See my video...

https://youtube.com/watch?v=nPnvON2Jbj0&feature=share

The Zoo needs to be presentable.  I maintain, attention to this issue could have been taken care of over the years, if Director Tanya Peterson cared or had any management skills at all.  Again I would not want money taken from the Animals Needs for this, but money already has with the Tiki Hut many years ago, and all the gardens since, not to mention other unnecessary crap in-between.  It all comes down to care and proper management, and unfortunately our Zoo lacks both. 

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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

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Former SFZoo Elephant Lulu Turns 57 Years Old, Oldest in North America

Lulu, one of four Elephants who lived at the Zoo, celebrated her 57th Birthday on February 10th.  She is now the oldest African Elephant in North America.  

Happy Birthday Lulu!

screencap from PAWS video

Lulu has been living a wonderful life at PAWS Sanctuary since 2005.  They had a celebration for Lulu's birthday, which was documented on their social platforms, and by media.  

See this link to their Instagram video from the event.

https://tinyurl.com/y7feawfs

One of the news articles I liked the best...

https://www.uniondemocrat.com/news/article_ff0afe3a-af19-11ed-949a-fbcbdaa7d68e.html

I grew up visiting our magnificent Elephants, and feel lucky to have had them be a part of my life.  This is one of my photos of Lulu from decades ago, that's been on display in my home for a very long time.  

It's been comforting to keep up with Lulu, since her move.  Seeing photos and video of Lulu with her Elephant friends is a beautiful thing.   PAWS is a great place and I'm thankful to them for taking such great care of Lulu for over eighteen years now.  

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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

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Oscar Day Always Reminds Me Of How We Almost Lost Our Chimpanzees

While I have weaved in good stuff during the years, the goal of this blog has always been to document all the things that just aren't right.  Writing posts has never been easy.  It's not only been time consuming, but more damaging, it's been emotionally draining and many times has caused great anxiety.  A few years ago, while trying to get to all my posts in draft, I decided to streamline them and only concentrate on the ones that illustrate what are in my opinion the worst actions Director Tanya Peterson has perpetrated on the Zoo, in an effort to highlight her extreme mismanagement.

The list is lengthy, but can and will be narrowed in a future post.  That said, this time of year always reminds me of what almost happened to our Chimpanzees at the hands of Director Tanya Peterson.

For those who are unfamiliar with this disturbing almost event, I'll try to synopsis it, as well here is the link to my dedicated blog that covers every aspect of it.

http://savesfzoochimps.blogspot.com

I grew up coming to the Zoo (circa the 1960s) and seeing the same Chimpanzees that I would become endeared to as an adult.  Within a couple years span, the Zoo had acquired four Chimpanzees that would become a family who called the Zoo and it's new Triple Grotto enclosure home for over forty years.  Tallulah arrived at eight yrs old in 1967, Cobby at ten years old in 1968, and Maggie and Minnie at the same time, at less than one year of age in 1970. ... In 1997 SF Residents voted for a $48 million bond for the Zoo, that was in part supposed to be used to build the Chimpanzee's a new home.  They were used as the "poster child" for the campaign, with their faces literally on posters, rallying for city residents to vote for the bond.  The money was misappropriated and the Chimp's continued to live in the same enclosure, as is for the next twenty-two years.  At no time did any of the Directors (David Anderson, Manuel Mollinedo, or Tanya Peterson) during that time frame, make any attempts to fundraise for the Chimps to have a new home built, or even to provide their existing home any upgrades. ... With the passing of our beloved Tallulah in early 2013, our Chimp family was reduced to three members.  The AZA's Species Survival Plan who monitors what Chimps live where, put forth the recommendation that three was not the ideal size social group for Chimps.  They also would not send any additional Chimps to live in the ancient Triple Grotto enclosure.  There is more to this in regards to ideas for solving this issue, but for this post, I'll leave it at that. ... During 2013, I had been contacted by a childhood fan of Cobby's.  She was also a filmmaker, and after a couple of our chats, decided to make a documentary on Cobby.  She planned a trip to see Cobby in late 2014.  I had been planning a series of blog posts about the status of the Chimpanzee enclosure for some time, even before the loss of Tallulah.  I put off finishing and publishing those posts til after the filmmaker's visit. ...  In late January 2015, word got to me via Keepers that Director Tanya Peterson had planned to ship the Chimps out.  Sitting here writing this, I still get chills.  In the two years since Tallulah, kicking out senior Chimpanzees from the only home they have known, was the action she chose to take.   Getting rid of the longest Zoo Residents, instead of giving them the home they were promised back in 1997,  securing they could live out their lives in an environment they knew, with people they knew, is unconscionable.  

I was told of this dastardly scheme by Keepers, because they knew I would make some noise about it.  They were right.  I was consumed empathetically by what my poor Chimp Friends would go through, if this happened to them.  Within a day, I had a dedicated blog, facebook group, twitter, petition, videos, meme's, anything I could think of to gain awareness to this moral crime.  I wrote letters to the board and city officials.  After about a week, a friend who knew Dan Noyes from KGO-TV, contacted me.  I called him and asked if he could do a story about this.  He was on it immediately.  I gave him all the people to interview, and he traveled by car eight hrs to one, by plane to Chicago and Florida, for two others.   He and his team did a great job and the story was ready in less than two weeks. 

While watching the Oscar Red Carpet, I got a message from Dan... The teaser commercial would run after the Oscars!  I fell asleep during the award show, and woke up hours later to a familiar voice, mine.  The teaser was replaying.  Evidentially it had been on heavy rotation since airing.  I had tons of messages.  Everytime I had on channel 7, from then til the Tuesday night broadcast, I saw the teaser and my face, at least three times an hour.  

I am so thankful for Dan's help in bring awareness to the Chimps plight. I have a decent but small following, so my voice is limited and what I needed, what the Chimps needed was public outcry and outrage.  The news story did just that.  Two days later, was the Zoo's Monthly Meeting.  That day I was still working hard for my Chimpers, and cut it close getting to the Zoo in time to visit them before the Meeting.   I got a message from a Keeper, "You did it!  Chimps are staying!"   I'm crying as I type this, just like I did in that moment.  I had never done anything like this, and the feeling was joy, relief and a sense of wow at the achievement.  I helped them in a way that no one else had been able to do, and through this crusade I had learned of two other attempts by Keepers, once in the 80's and once during the early 2000's.  When I next visited the Zoo a Keeper saw me and announced, "There's the most powerful woman in San Francisco!"   I don't know about that, but I have appreciated every one who recognized my efforts.  And that Keeper's statement was inline with the fact that I did basically go up against a group of City influentials and came out winning a new lease on life for my Chimpanzee Friends. 

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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

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SFZoo In The 1970s - On Vintage TV This Weekend

I'm prepping to write a few posts that stray from my original flow goal.  This is not one of them, but I thought Zoo fans might be interested.

I was alerted yesterday that the 70s TV show The Streets of San Francisco will marathon on Decades Channel (180 locally) this weekend.  The episode that was filmed at the Zoo airs tomorrow night, Sunday March 12 at 10pm.  

I posted about this back in 2009 on my first Zoo blog, which was all about good stuff, two years before I was treated badly and slandered by Director Tanya Peterson. That treatment prompted me to start documenting all the stuff that's just not right.

For those who would prefer to just see the parts of the episode that have the Zoo, I filmed them off TV and included them in that blog post.   Look close and you can see old Monkey cages and Triple Grotto in the video leads.

https://gooberssfzoofriends.blogspot.com/2009/07/streets-of-san-francisco-on-location-at.html

I'm also in the process of finalizing editing and adding stories to a book I wrote for the most part in 2007.  I realized many years ago that my book is not only a memoir to my teenage adventures, but a love letter to My City.  For those who grew up here, or have been here since before tech moved in, you know what I mean.  As a City native of that era, I can't fully express how much I love The Streets Of San Francisco.  If I could, I'd have screens in every room and down the hall, with the show on loop.  

My hometown has seen too many changes over the last twenty plus years, and most not for the better.  The character this town was built on, what I was lucky to experience, is mostly gone.  It saddens me, and those aren't just words.  As I screen-capped the guide page to include elsewhere, a wave of melancholy came over me and I shed some tears.  Not since the 90s has The City been what it once was.  

That all said, San Francisco may never be what it once was, but the San Francisco Zoo can still be all that it can be.  We just need a Director who cares.

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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

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