New From The Zoo This Valentine's Day - Pandas Coming Soon?

Someone contacted me Friday morning after they saw this on the Zoo's Instagram...

They wanted to know if Pandas had been confirmed.  They ended their inquiry with this perfect expression... 

"My heart is sinking on this Valentine’s Day…"

Everyone who cares about the Zoo, knows bringing Pandas to Our Zoo, especially at this time, is wrong on so many levels.  It is irresponsible, and would be disastrous not only to the Zoo's future, but specifically to it's present state.

My answer to that inquiry was, I had not heard anything.  Adding that, in my opinion, Director Tanya Peterson has been suspiciously quiet, so who knows what the status is.  

Considering the Board of Supervisors initiated an Audit (start time unknown), that reportedly could take from nine months to a year, there should have been a stipulation that the Panda Plan be put on hold until the Audit was completed.  Supervisor Connie Chan reportedly suggested it at the audit hearing on Dec 10.  Chan said, "... if the Zoo needs to pause its Panda project to address financial and safety issues, “so be it.” ... Even though it is noted by the BOS that these Audits are routine, the financial weight of bringing Pandas to Our Zoo is one of the things that prompted the Audit. So, there should have been a pause stipulated.

It is worth noting for those who haven't followed along, the Zoo has reportedly not had an Audit since 1999.  I note this as I see it as another fail on The City to provide necessary oversight of the Zoo.  The Zoo is in the position it is, because of mismanagement by Director Tanya Peterson, and the Zoological Society.  In addition, oversight neglect by the Society, SF Recreation and Park Commissioners, and the SF Board of Supervisors.  All entities have shown zero care for the Zoo, at the every least since 2008, the now seventeen years since I have been monitoring it.  It's Shameful.

Let's do a short recap on Why the whole Panda Plan remains pure Insanity.

Aside from the projected cost of $40 Million (over a ten-year lease), which is an outrageous commitment,  there are the initial costs that just don't add-up logically. 

The most recent report is, to save (this is surely a joke) money, instead of the original plan to spend $25 million on two Panda enclosures ($20 mil for permanent + $5 mil for temporary), the new price tag is $8 mil for one enclosure.  That enclosure is slated to not only be in the Lion House/Yards, but to take over to the extent that the Lions will be displaced from the Lion House, by Pandas.  I know, again, insanity.  But wait, there's more.  

In addition to the $8 million to repurpose the Lion House/Yard for Pandas, an additional $1.? mil, will be used to build the Lions a new enclosure.  So, in reality over $10 mil will most likely be spent to displace Lions and accommodate Pandas, an Animal that is not a current resident of Our Zoo.

You can not tell me that $10 million can't build a new enclosure for Pandas?  

I was against the $20 million for a new enclosure, because the Orangutans have gotten nothing, but if we are destined to get Pandas against all controversy, building a new enclosure east of Grizzly Bears would be the most logical thing to do, both financially and logistically.   

The reality of Our Zoo having Pandas is that we most likely will not be able to afford them to fulfil the ten year lease.  Also, with the current President, China could repossess them at any time, even reneging on agreement before they even get here and after money has been spent displacing the Lions and ruining the Lion House/Yard.  It's a waste on a whim of hypothetical grandeur.

I've posted this before, but for those not following, the reality of the ruin to the Lion House/Yard is real.  One of the key components of that yard repurposing, will be to fill in the moat.  Once that is done, that enclosure can never hold Big Cats again.  There is no dialing it back at a later date.  ...  At least building new at east end, that enclosure can be used to house the Black Bears in the future.

The current Panda Plan will be disastrous for Our Zoo.  It is another selfish Want from Director Tanya Peterson, with the support of the Zoological Society, and the naive and delusional City Entities, and Donors.

Anyway, I support planting Bamboo, rumor has it, they need it for Red Pandas.

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https://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2018/09/my-zoo-status.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 , 

#SanFranciscoMayorDanielLurie

#AssociationOfZoosAndAquariums , #AZA , #SpeciesSurvivalPlan , #SSP , #Animals , #Wildlife , #Nature , #AnimalWelfare , #AnimalCruelty , #AndeanBear , #KomodoDragon , #Chimpanzees ,  #PatasMonkey , #Fossa , #Orangutans , #Barriers , #PerimeterFence, #Pandas #Bison