HOT TOPIC - Expanding On My Reason For Doing A Petition - Another Slap In The Orangutans Faces

I would have liked this to immediately follow the post of my Petition Sunday, but I just didn't have the time to finish it, and in the days since I've been too tired.  Even though dealing with some other stuff, words haven't stopped circling my mind.  There's also been additional stuff to document, that I've barely allowed in, because it will just cause more thoughts!

The Petition is moving slow, despite my thinking it would have had more momentum out of the gate.  I'm trying to share it in every forum I can think of to reach locals.  If all it does is gain some awareness, then it's been successful.  There have been some good, rational comments, which I will publish in a post.  

I've read alot of applause on Twitter about the Pandas coming, which I'm not hating on,  I'll be happy to experience seeing them, I just want things to be fair to the current Zoo Residents in the process, and be in the Zoo's best interest thriving in the future.

I've already noted that the Petition is another forum for awareness, and that I am tired of reading slick PR Statements by Zoo Representatives.  But, in all my fury, writing the Petition, I failed to highlight what caused that fury.

One thing and one thing only, prompted the Petition.  That is the Disrespect and Cruelty the Organutans were shown by Zoo Director Tanya Peterson, not having a dedicated and appropriate living space provided for them upon arrival. ... Yet the Pandas will get the Red Carpet to the tune of $25 million and two enclosures!!!  It sickens me.  My Soul has been sad at what happened to the Orangutans since they got here, and this makes it even worse.

The sheer thought of even suggesting this is a slap in the Orangutans face.  This notion, which is apparently fact, is so disgusting.  How can this be justified as the right thing?  It can't.

For those new to their plight, I will try to make it concise and precise as possible.  San Francisco Zoo Director Tanya Peterson had been trying to bring Orangutans to SFZoo for years.  It was the root of her plan to kick out our senior Chimpanzees, in favor of some bandaids to the Triple Grotto enclosure for the Orangutans, instead of much needed, AZA required, twenty years waiting upgrades even needed for when the Chimpanzees were living there.  After she tried to kick-out the Chimps, she was forced by public outrage to keep them and give them a new home in the Zoo.  While construction on their new home was being finished, news was Orangutans were on their way.  Myself and Staff wondered, Where they were going to live?  To all our disgust and shock, no enclosure was being prepared for them. The Orangutans arrived just weeks before the Chimps outdoor yard was finished.  The Chimps were so happy and enjoyed a very short time before they were locked out of their own enclosure, and the female Orangutan given access to the Chimp yard.  The male was so terrified of his experience here, he didn't leave the skytrails for eight months.  The female had access to the Chimp yard for seven weeks, while the Chimps were locked inside during a summer heat wave.  I reported it to the head of the Chimpanzee SSP who I was friends with, and who I had been reporting all the play by play to.  When he heard the Chimps were still locked in, he made a call and they were out the next day.  But, that was bittersweet as it meant the female Orangutan was back living in the caged tubes with the male.  These poor Beings would sit above, sadly looking down at the Chimpanzees in the yard, probably wondering why they can't go there.  It was heartbreaking to say the least.  After eighteen weeks on the tubes, a mini rotation that allowed for the Orangutans to have a few hrs a day a few times aweek came into play.  But, that was not a solution.  

As time ticked on, Triple Grotto just sat there.  Nothing being done to give the Orangutans a home of their own.  I waited and waited and finally, I had to report this to the USDA.  I stupidly did not give me name, I don't know why.  I've always been the face of my words and actions, and all not doing so accomplished was no report was documented on their website. So, I don't know what was determined.  What I do know is, I was there one day soon after, when non-staff people were in the grotto, taking measurements.  I asked someone if it was the result of my call to USDA, they just smiled big.  I took that as a yes, but can never know for sure.  Another day, I talked to the architect, who showed me the blue prints, and I was appalled by the design plan.  The renovation would be, raising the walls, removing the walk-way that Keepers used to get to the enclosure, and adding a huge metal bridge, because now the Keepers needed to access the enclosure from outside the enclosure.  Sheer Idiocracy!  ...  Oh, and a huge box on each of the already too small islands to catch the bridge.  Unbelievable!  I truly couldn't belive my eyes at what I was seeing.  The bridge is a completely unnecessary eye sore.  The project manager and Director Peterson should have both lost their jobs for that in itself.  Well, way before Peterson for Animal Cruelty keeping Great Apes in caged tubes.

Not one single thing for the Orangutans.  I made the suggestion of adding a tree sculpture for climbing, a Keeper told me, they were told no money for anything.  It would have literally been made of huge branches sourced from the Zoo grounds.  But no.  They were stuck with an existing stucture on each island, built in the 80s, one of which had been rusting with paint peeling for over ten years.  I asked why the grottos couldn't be filled in and netted over, as I had seen how much the female loved climbing the netting in the Chimp yard, and would have provided them with actual space to move around on the ground.  I was told Director said, no money.

So, there the poor Orangutans languish forever.

Now, Pandas are coming and get the Red Carpet treatment.  They have to because China keeps a close watch on everything regarding their Pandas.  Good for them, because things can go very f**k-y at SFZoo.   

It's not bringing Pandas here that I have an issue with.  I'd love to see Pandas, but I think our Zoo needs major work first.  I'd also like there to be a new Director and management structure in place.  That said,  Unfortunately, I don't think anyone is going to stop the rush to get the Pandas here next year.  Mayor London Breed and Zoo Director Tanya Peterson, are cheering and talking raising big money.  Peterson has failed to do any fundraising, big or small in the fifteen years she's been at the Zoo.  That's why no money excuse for everything.  Oh except when it's a garden or art installation, somehow money appears, yet the final third of the netting at Flamingos still hasn't been done.  Personally I think the amount it's going to cost in total for Pandas, is more than the Zoo can handle, even if initial costs come from Breeds efforts.  And what happens if Breed doesn't get re-elected, and the next person isn't as enthusiastic about paying the rental fee and other yearly expenses associated with having Pandas here? Because that has to be an expense The City takes  on.  Do they go back to China and we have yet another empty exhibit, and a costly one at that?

So let's talk about the initial cost, which is the one that is pissing me off.  Director Peterson has been quoted saying, $4 million will go to upgrading an existing enclosure, and $20 million for a permanent enclosure.  What the serious F?  I can't even with this.   Two enclosures, but Orangutans got nothing?  The permanent enclosure for Pandas is all that should be on tap.  If they have $4 million for temporary, then they should use it to renovate the grottos for the Orangutans the way it should have been done to begin with.  I'll expand on this in a separate post. 

The Chimpanzee's Dayroom and Yard was rumored to have cost under $2 million.  Let's see that for the Orangutans!  Some might be tired of me talking about the Orangutans, but I'll never get over what happened to them, and I'm never going to give up on trying to help them.  

The ball is in Mayor Breed and Director Peterson's court.  Will either of you use funds to give the Orangutans a better place to live, and fix other things, before the Pandas get here?

Related Post: Disgust At Triple Grotto Renovation - Our Poor Orangutans

iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2021/03/disgust-at-triple-grotto-renovation-our.html

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