Bison Meadow Saga - Fall Update & My New Idea

The plight of the Bison Paddock Meadow in Golden Gate Park continues.  No surprise.  

For those new to this issue, you can search this blog for "Bison" and/or my YouTube for "leo811sf Bison".  I've done extensive, and exhausting coverage for too many years, regarding the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department's negligence of keeping the irrigation/Sprinkler system continuously working, to maintain a healthy landscape of edible green vegetation for the Bison.  The Paddock is RecPark's responsibility, while the SFZoo is responsible for the Animals.

Before I move on, I have also documented, and most likely alerted RecPark of the negligence in replacing needed signage at the Paddock.  Signs like this, of which there are four on the side alone, are necessary.  One Bison babie lost their life years ago, due to an off-leash Dog that accessed the enclosure through a hole at the fence line.  That was another RecPark Fail to the Bison Paddock, as there was not just one breachable opening, but I counted thirty-six around the perimeter at the time of that incident.   

RecPark, in addition to the Sprinklers, you need to replace all defaced signage.  These signs have been like this for years!  For a City that touts embracing the natural environment and green spaces, the Animals, whether wild or captive like the Bison, sure seem to get the lowest priority of attention.  

In April, I reached out to Richmond District Supervisor Connie Chan for help on this, as the alleged decades old issue is shameful.  

At that time, two things happened.  One, a back and forth between myself, Chan, and RecPark, ending with a declaration from RecPark that the issues were fixed and the Sprinkler was working.  

Two, I decided to let it ride through the non-rainy months, and prove that the declaration is seemingly untrue.

Above is that declaration correspondence from LaMonte Bishop of the RecPark.  With the Meadow becoming more dried out in the month since my original contact, I replied back, " If the Sprinklers are working, Why is the Meadow brown?"  I never received a response.  

As June, July, and August have passed, and it's now nearing the end of September, as predicted the Meadow has continuously become more and more dried out. I documented almost weekly during the last four months.  So, now I'm back on it. 

Below my video taken in January, during rainy season.  

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NYyR0ZrLxOI

Below my video taken in May, after no rain for a month.  And now in September, is only worse as it's died of thirst for near six months.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wvnW3J_WsJg

It's very clear by these videos that the Meadow is green when water is involved.  When it rains, it's green.  When it doesn't rain, and there are NO sprinklers, it's brown.  The untruth about the sprinklers needs to just stop.   

Also note, Don't be fooled by what appears to be areas of green, those are plants considered to be Weeds, not edible vegetation for grazing Animals.  The two found in that meadow are Mallow and Thistle, the later reportedly toxic to Animals. While Mallow is considered harmless, it is noted as not favored.

These plants are not part of the Bison's diet.  They do not eat these plants.  This is evidenced by those visually green-ish patches with the Weeds looking to be near three feet tall!

I started this past week with an early morning visit, spending some time with the Ladies as they were gathered at their feeding area, snuffling through the dirt, dried vegetation and even trying to reach outside the fencing for a snack while waiting for the Keepers.  

These additional photos are worth documenting.  They show a bit of a close up of the Weeds, but also the bowls, one for each, that the Keepers leave with food to supplement their diet, and a small green patch that grows green during non-rainy season,  probably because it gets watered when the Bison drink from the trough that's there.  

While standing there, I had a couple thoughts.  One, I'm going to email LaMonte and find out what time in the "overnight", the Sprinklers are supposedly going on, because I do not believe they are.  All the other Park Sprinklers are on when I've been through between 8a-9a.  So many Sprinklers, to the point of excessive overflow in all areas.  The Park's priority seems to be to keep every area lush and green for Humans, but screw the Animals that need it for their natural grazing behavior and supplemental diet.

Above is Lindley Meadow, not far from the Bison.  It is green every day of the year.  If there was an irrigation issue there, you can bet it would be top priority to make sure the Sprinklers were working.

Before I continue with what my second thought was, because I want to end with that, I want to document the reply I got in regard to my first thought.  

So, I emailed LaMonte on Friday and asked for the Sprinkler time.  He was out of office, so Beverly Ng from the RecPark responded as I included her along with Connie Chan in my inquiry as that was the original chain group.  This was her response...

I responded by saying I was "Hesitant to believe this information, as I was told it was fixed and working four months ago.  It's too coincidental that I inquire about the timer the day after it's supposedly fixed (AGAIN?), and the Bison were in the main Meadow yesterday, so no way workers had access to it the irrigation system."  

I continue to wait for the information requested about the time the Sprinklers are active.

My second thought, was in regard to a long-running want of mine.  In a previous post I noted that the RecPark needs to remove those Weeds, rototil, and reseed, at the very least, in that huge center area, where non-edible vegetation grows.  Then I re-thought that, and realized it was not a good idea for the Parks gas fueled mowers to be in the Meadow, as a precaution to any leaks that could happen in the Bison's living space.  I then thought, maybe the Zoo's Horticulture and Maintenance team could work that area and remove those plants.  Now, my current thought, is the best idea of all.  

Last weekend the Zoo held a Renew the Zoo effort to clean-up the perimeter fence.  We need a Renew the Zoo to remove those Weeds!   This way, there is a larger group of people working to get this done.  And done by hand, so no gas fueled or other toxic fluid equipment has to go in the Meadow.

Ideally this could be done soon, before the rainy season, so that when Mother Nature starts crying on the Meadow, one of two things can happen.  A) We can see if the same green vegetation that grows in other areas of the Meadow are present there, or B) Skip that experiment and reseed that whole area, which I think is the best plan.  And the RecPark needs to provide the seed.

After visiting with the Ladies that morning, I was at the Zoo and lucked into a conversation with someone, who I shared my idea with.  They thought it was good and said they would pass it on to the person in charge of Renew the Zoo events.  

Hopefully, this will come to fruition, and at the very least, that largest area with the inedible Weeds can be removed.  The dirted area close to their eating shelter, trough, and bowl area, possibly doesn't need much except weeding near fence, as Bison use dirt for dusting to cool off and to keep insects away.

National Bison Day is November 2nd, a Sunday this year.  The Zoo usually does Renew the Zoo on Saturdays, so maybe on the 1st, if not earlier at one of the already scheduled dates.

My Photo of One of Our Ladies

circa 2013

As for the Sprinklers, we have to assume after over a decade, the RecPark is just never going to have them consistently working, or be truthful about the situation.