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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