More Voices For Our Zoo - If Only This Would Have Happened Sooner

I just woke up.  An email from a friend hipped me to an entry on the "activist" Justin Barker's effort against the Zoo, a website called SFZoo Watch.  He recieved some feedback by notable voices, on his recent opinion piece published by the SF Standard last week, which make-up this new entry on his site. ... I should note that after reading his op-ed, his tune towards the Zoo has a different tone, switching? from Close-Zoo Zealot to someone who may actually have some drive to help the Zoo see needed changes, instead of abolishment.

I mentioned the Standard's article in my weekend Zoo post, "SF Mayor, Zoo Director, and Society Board, Seek High-Tech Enclosure For Pandas While Orangutans Live On Concrete Mounds".

https://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2024/09/sf-mayor-zoo-director-and-society-board.html

That post was prompted by a few articles that had come out in recent days.  The gist of them being about the Mayor's Panda efforts, while also noting other Zoo fails under Peterson's mismanagement.

I note that I'm still working on my series of posts prompted by the Zoological Society Board's decision to keep Tanya Peterson as Director of Our Zoo.   There's too much.  Keeping the perpetrator of the crimes against Our Zoo and Animals, bring on the flood of Fails.  I've been engrossed in all the Fails, mostly one's that have dealt with Animal Welfare, for sixteen years.  I can say this with complete confidence, no other member of the public has felt the Heartbreak over what has happened with too many of the Animals I've known as individuals, more than myself.

After writing about these Fails I've lived through for over thirteen years, admittedly there is an uncomfortable feeling that comes over me, when I have read other people's words.  Whether the Chronicle reporter, the Barker guy, or insiders finally speaking out.  I can't describe it, but it's a bit of frustration, and a lot of sadness.  Sadness because, other than when Dan Noyes from KGO I-Team, gave interest to my Crusade to Save Our Chimps, no one cared about the mismanagement I was detailing in my blog documentation.  If they had, a light would have been shined on the situation at Our Zoo a decade ago, possibly saving it from what it's become at the hands of Peterson and the neglect of the Zoological Society.  More importantly, the number of Animals who have suffered from the uncaring of those entities that could have been prevented.

I deal with subject expose'.  I'm long-winded, and detailed in order to illustrate the complete picture and my feelings.  I can't bat out short teaser reads like the Chronicle reporter or Barker.   As someone who has been at the Zoo from two to four days a week over sixteen years, I lived through everything I've written about.  All 850+ posts.  I've given so much of my energy and time to being A Voice, that's is caused me physical anguish.  So yeah, while I'm glad people are finally responding,  it's a weird feeling, as I've been roaring for years and no one listened. 

No one cared when I wrote about the Lion House having No Heat (2015) for six months during Winter, or that Tanya got rid of both Vets (2017) and the Zoo didn't have one of record for over two months.

https://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2015/01/heater-in-lion-house-out-for-six-months.html

I never got around to a dedicated post about the Vet situation, but it's documented in a post 

( https://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2017/06/my-sfzoo-membership-revoked-again.html ) ,

about the last time my membership was not only revoked without any reason given, but Director Peterson had my account noted, "deactivated and deceased"!!  I was again stigmatized among some Staff by her lies, put forth out of her fear of me knowing too much and continuing to expose her wrong doings.  Branded a Zoo Enemy, I noted how not having a Staff Veterinarian because of her doing, made her a bigger Enemy of the Zoo and it's Residents, than I ever could be portrayed as.  My only crime is caring.  Her crime is that she doesn't.  Neither does the Zoological Society Board who has and continues to support Peterson.  They are the true Enemies of the Zoo.

During the time the Zoo had no Vet on Staff, it mained basic care by having per diem Vets come in.  Not having a full-time Vet on staff meant that other than basic medication already on hand, if needed no other medicine could be obtained, as only the Vet of record could write prescriptions.  This all happened during a time when one of the Goats was suffering through an unknown illness.  Thankfully he survived without needing medical attention that might not have been available for him.

As painful as so many of the Zoo Fails have been, and there's a very long list, I'm glad that the universe positioned me to be a privy to it all, so that I could Roar for My Animal Friends and the Zoo I care about.  I only wish my Voice could have been louder, and there could have been less heart ache for all who have cared, and still do. 

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

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

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

I used to use (search) labels, but too often forget.  I started noting "Hot Topic" in title, but fell lax on that.  Now I'm just going to add labels, keywords, etc., here at the bottom with hashtags.  Does it help in searches, who knows. 

#SanFrancisco , #SanFranciscoZoo , #Zoos #SanFranciscoZoologicalSociety , #SanFranciscoZooDirectorTanyaPeterson , #SanFranciscoRecreationAndParksDept , #SanFranciscoMayorLondonBreed ,  #AssociationOfZoosAndAquariums , #AZA , #SpeciesSurvivalPlan , #SSP , #Animals , #Wildlife , #Nature , #AnimalWelfare , #AnimalCruelty , #AndeanBear , #KomodoDragon , #Chimpanzees ,  #PatasMonkey , #Fossa , #Orangutans , #Barriers , #PerimeterFence, #Pandas