The Chimpanzee Dayroom Gave New Life To Our Original Three

While Triple Grotto still holds nostalgic joy, it's use has faded over the years into obsolete status.  Built in the mid-1960s, it originally housed Orangutans, Chimpanzees, and Gorillas!  Hard to believe not only that each of those Great Ape species only had one grotto island to live on, but that they all resided together in that seemingly small night quarter building.  By the 80s, Gorillas had been moved to what is current Madrill's, and then to Gorilla World. In 2003, the last Orangutan was transferred out, and the Chimpanzees were the last Apes standing, occupying all three grotto islands.  Ten years later, with the passing of Tallulah, our three remaining Chimps were faced with future eviction.  The Chimpanzee SSP had guidelines that required Zoos to hold a minimum of four. They also deemed the aging Triple Grotto  not appropriate, refusing to send the Zoo additional Chimpanzees.  Despite a $48 million 1997 City Bond, that designated a new Chimpanzee enclosure, not one Director, not one Zoological Society Board Member, not one Rec and Park Commissioner, not one Mayor, no authoritative entity for our City owned Zoo, made sure that bond funds were used as designated.  Additionally, at no point since has any one of those entities cared to monitor the situation and dictate that funds need to be raised for a new Chimpanzee enclosure.  So, the Chimps continued to live in Triple Grotto, making them vulnerable to having to leave their home of over forty years.  In 2014, Director Peterson decided rather than lifting a finger to raise any funds for the Chimps at that time, or any time during her six years there, she would send them packing.  This disrespectful, disgusting, and callous plan was stopped, when a member of the public (me), got media attention that created public outrage.  Chimps stayed and got a new home built.  In addition to a new Yard, they got an indoor Dayroom with visitor viewing windows.  The Dayroom became what I consider the greatest source of enrichment Our Chimpanzees may have ever had.

While putting together Maggie's tribute post, I watched alot of my videos, especially those from Our Chimps first public day in the Dayroom.  I've watched them through and in parts many times.  It still makes me cry, tears of joy at My Chimpers happiness, and feel immense sadness of what it took to get them to this enriching point in their long lives.  As I say in the first video, "They should have had this a long time ago."

Cobby, Minnie and Maggie, had access to the Dayroom a couple times, prior to the public opening.  My video's show their first face-to-face encounters with visitors.

This video starts with me entering the Dayroom, Chimps start a few minutes in.  I kept rolling to capture the whole experience and not miss their entrance.

Minnie

San Francisco Zoo Chimpanzees -New Playroom -Moment The Chimps Come Face To Face With Visitors For The First Time

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rNZ-YoQp2bw

Cobby

San Francisco Zoo Chimpanzees New Playroom Interacting With Visitors For The First Time

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-J6TWOYbm3g

Maggie

San Francisco Zoo Chimpanzee Maggie New Playroom Interacting With Visitors For The First Time

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HCdYKydiZ0A

Cobby, Maggie, Minnie

The new Yard created for the Chimps, also provided them with enriching new experiences.  Not only expanded outdoor space, four times the size of a Triple Grotto Island, but with netting that provided them to reach new heights.

San Francisco Zoo Chimpanzees Enter New Yard For The First Time! Pt 1 5 30 19

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PDzKuG3xKM8

In a previous post, I included a screencap of Maggie climbing high, parallel to the trees.  Here's another from Pt Three.

Maggie

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dZ5Td9dA658

While Maggie was the first to adventure up to the top of the enclosure netting, Minnie and Cobby, gave it a go seven months later!  Luckily I was there for their first adventure, but it made me nervous watching them!

Cobby and Minnie

San Francisco Zoo Chimpanzees Cobby and Minnie Big Adventure to See The Ocean 12 30 19

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tGDUbxTvG4k

In my previous post, I wrote, "All the years the Chimps lived in Triple Grotto, I knew they knew me, but it wasn't until the move to the Dayroom, where we could interact at the glass, did I realize we had a bond."  That was based on what transpired between us, but watching them, what it's done FOR them is pure joy at the highest level.  I'm happy to have witnessed these amazing adventures that new environments provided them, but most of all, I'm happy for the experiences they had. The only other thing I would have wished for them, is that this would have happened in Tallulah's lifetime.  She deserved this too.  I'm sure she was there in spirit, right beside them.  

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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