Will The Panda Plan Crumble? Let's Hope So! - Zoo In The News

With my out of the house days done for the week, I woke this Friday morning, and within minutes was starting this post.  Get it out of the way, is the goal.  Hopefully nothing else surfaces this weekend.  

After my documentation efforts last weekend, six blog posts and a petition, I thought I'd get a break this weekend, but evidently with no rest from the wicked side of things, I guess that's not possible.  

Like most everyone else, I'm disgusted, frustrated and exhausted by everything and everyone associated with running Our Zoo.  

The incompetence of all managing entities is overwhelming, and the allowance of this management shit-show to continue is outrageous and mind-numbing.  

I was sent three write-ups about the Zoo in the last couple days.  The one from the news source The SF Standard, is the one I want to comment on.  

https://sfstandard.com/2024/12/11/sf-zoo-audit-panda/

First, seriousness a bit aside, I love that Vitus Leung, the "Deputy Director" has his panties in a twist about the audit possibly preventing the Zoo getting Pandas.  Things often happen the way they should, although Why our poor Zoo has been subjected to Tanya Peterson for sixteen years has still not presented itself.

Let me rant some on Vitus, because I haven't enough.  This guy shouldn't even be allowed to clean toilets at the Zoo, let alone be Deputy Director.  I didn't know who this guy was, when I heard him call one of Our Goats ugly.  He's been on my shit list ever since.  No one who has the opportunity to work in an Animal Care Facility, should Disrespect the Animals.  I was vocal about what he said, and for that matter about Primate Curator Robbie, who made horrible comments about Minnie Chimpanzee after her passing, yet both these disgusting humans are still employed by the Zoo.  As is Director Peterson, who kept Orangutans in caged tubes. 

Our Zoo not only Needs a management overhaul, it needs a good house cleaning.

Ok, so my rant about Vitus turned into a mini-outting of three people who should be immediately kicked to the curb.  That said, the list is much longer.  It is my opinion that Vitus Leung does nothing to add to the management of the Zoo.  He has seemingly only been an extra mouth-piece for Director Tanya Peterson, who refuses to speak much for herself, although we continue to hear the slap from the huge pat on the back she gives herself.  In addition to the rumor on the grounds that allegedly Peterson added the Deputy Director title to Leung's VP of HR position, was to bump his salary, ahead of his retirement, it seems maybe he is playing an aggressive role in the Panda Plan?

So, the audit.  Reported to take up to a year to complete, I guess that means another year of Our Zoo languishing under Director Peterson and her sucking $320,000+ from the payroll, for allegedly working less than part-time, as well as digging a deeper grave for Our Zoo.

Tanya Peterson should at the very least, be removed as Zoo Director, during the duration of the audit.  

Beyond the very least, the Mayor needs to over-ride all current managing entities and Restructure Zoo Management, starting with lifting the weight that the Panda Plan has put on the Zoo.

These statements from the Standard article, have warranted my reaction.

> “Having this audit may significantly diminish our chance of bringing giant pandas back to the San Francisco Zoo,” deputy director Vitus Leung told The Standard. “While we respect the board’s decision, we are disappointed by their approach and timing.” <

This guy, talking about timing.  Too bad.  What about all the time, sixteen years to be specific, that's been wasted because of Tanya Peterson's mismanagement as Director?  So much time in which the Zoo could have been moving forward into reaching it's potential.  Ugh, this guy.

> Leung criticized the October report’s methodology as severely flawed and said zoo leadership will present a rebuttal next week. The zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and passed the 2022 inspection with no significant safety issue identified. <

Good grief.  You can see what the angle of that document will be, just by him calling it a rebuttal.   Will the rebuttal include reasoning on Why the Orangutans are still waiting for an appropriate home?  The audacity of this guy and historically of Peterson, is sickening.  Can't wait.  I'll clear my calendar because I'm sure the "rebuttal" will be a doozy.

Also, the Accreditation by the AZA, is hugely flawed.  One of the things they look for in the accreditation process is what they call, the "gold standard for a modern zoological facility". The indisputable fact that San Francisco Zoo was given re-Accreditation for housing Orangutans in an ancient (sixty-year old) enclosure, that they themselves previously deemed unacceptable to house Chimpanzees, is disturbing, curious and suspicious.  They have denied other facilities for less, yet SFZoo continues to pass.  

Keeping Orangutans in caged tubes, Squirrel Monkeys in a concrete room and a Komodo Dragon in a terrarium, is considered gold standard modern practices to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

> The zoo will likely spend $40 million for the panda project in the next decade; the cost will be borne by private donations. <

It has not been reported that private donations with cover the costs of the Pandas for a ten-year lease, only costs to get the here, and possibly sustain them in the first year. Until it is confirmed that private donors will foot the bill for the rental fees, exclusive staff (Keepers and Vets), additional Security, and outside sourcing of Bamboo, for the duration of their stay, no one should be making that assumption.  

And, considering the Board of Supervisors stipulation that funds raised by the Mayor for Pandas, also be used for current Animal Needs, does not apply to funds raised by the Zoo Director, any "attendance bump" monies brought in by the Pandas should hugely go to current Animal Needs and other upgrades.

> Last week, San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan suggested at the audit hearing that if the zoo needs to pause its panda project to address financial and safety issues, “so be it.” <

Supervisor Chan, seems to be the only one with a reasonable thought.

Supervisor Myrna Melgar on the other hand, makes this delusional statement,...

> Despite the tensions, Melgar remains enthusiastic about the pandas. “I am 110% in support of the panda deal,” she said. “I think it will be great for our city and for the west side.” <

Considering no sense has come to the Zoological Society Board, the RecPark Commissioners or Mayor Breed,  let's hope this audit does put the necessary stop to the Zoo aquiring Pandas at this time.  

Going to end this one here, because at this point it's the same old, same old.  Knocking on empty brains, hoping someday, someone will be home.

Related Posts: 

*The Change That's Needed To Save Our Zoo - Part Two - Restructuring Management

https://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2024/10/the-change-thats-needed-to-save-our-zoo_19.html

*AZA Extends SFZoo Accreditation Another Five Years

https://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2022/05/aza-extends-sfzoo-accreditation-another.html

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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 #Bison