Dino's Extended - That Means No Access to WalkAbout+ Continues

Ugh, started my block of days IN for the weekend last night and realized not a thought for the blog!  It was a glorious thing.  It was short lived.

Interesting chain of events this morning.

9a - I was thinking of the date in relation to Dino's.  I didn't get to the Zoo this week, and realized the end of Dino's was Saturday, and that it could be a couple weeks of Dino take-down before I could visit Boomer (the Emu at WalkAbout).

10a - Zoo's email Newsletter with this comes through.

11a - A friend messaged me about this extension of Dino's.  

I'm all for attractions that are going to bring money into the Zoo, but in my opinion it's a problem when regularly included attractions, specifically Animal Enclosures, are closed to regular visitors.   

Before Dino's, I visited Boomer every week.  I hate to pick favorites, but he and Gauhati (One Horned Rhino), are mine.  These Friends have a piece of my heart.  As well, and I hate to even say this (but it is a thought during this restricted access), both are getting up in age and every visit is cherished.

When Dino's first started I planned out paying for it every few weeks for the three months, just so I could visit Boomer.  Now there's four more months?   

I'm sorry, but it's insanity that WalkAbout and Cassowary for that matter will continue to be closed.  Aside from my personal upset about diminished time with Boomer, that's seven months+, of two Animal Enclosures off view, in a place that already has a dwindling collection.

I had sent an email to Marketing suggesting they figure out something along the lines of free entry to those who have already paid, to be able access these Animal Enclosures.

Within today's announcement, it's noted that new Memberships will include tickets to Dino's.  I guess that something, but doesn't address the exclusion to those who are either already Zoo Members or are regular visitors with no Membership.   

Personally, I chose not to renew my Membership this year for a couple reasons.  I can't currently afford a full price Membership, and at the time, I wasn't sure what the future held for Our Zoo.  Since I have EBT, I chose to use the Museums For All discount instead.  My last Membership had a Community Discount that was 50% off Memberships.  That was doable, but they did away with it.  I'm two years from Senior level and next level is useless since I don't need a second card.  In my (selfish?) opinion, they are lacking an affordable level.  Maybe the Senior level should be Seniors and Singles!

Anyway, I got no problem with buying an EBT ticket, but would prefer to have a Membership.  YET, in the current issue with access to Boomer, that would still not help.

Those who have already paid (and repeatedly) for Dino's, visit regularly, and clearly have no need to see Dino's again and again, should be given access to WalkAbout and Cassowary.

Visiting Boomer week before last.   Spent a half hour with him, since it had been a few weeks.   For many years, he is used to seeing me every week, and I think he enjoys it.  No matter where in the enclosure he is, he comes down to me and just hangs out.   We have a routine and it's sad that I don't get to see him weekly.   And he don't understand why that is.

Anyway, this could just be my feelings since I'm so endeared to Boomer, but if you're bothered for some reason as well, and inclined, give a shout out, to the Zoo's... CEO/Director, Cassandra Costello ( cassandrac@sfzoo.org ) VP of Marketing, Paulo Vergara ( paulov@sfzoo.org ) and Director of Communication, Nancy Chan ( nancyc@sfzoo.org )

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> Previous Post:

Bison Paddock Update & Related Bullshit

https://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2026/09/bison-paddock-update-related-bullshit.html

> Comments:  Note that Anonymous Comments are accepted.  I moderate all comments before publishing.  If you are using this form for a non-publish correspondence, please note "Personal" on it.  Thank you for your participation and/or feedback.

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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

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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  , #SanFranciscoZooCEODirectorCassandraCostello , #FormerSanFranciscoZooDirectorTanyaPeterson , #SanFranciscoRecreationAndParksDept , #FormerSanFranciscoMayorLondonBreed , #SanFranciscoMayorDanielLurie , #AssociationOfZoosAndAquariums , #AZA , #SpeciesSurvivalPlan , #SSP , #Animals , #Wildlife , #Nature , #AnimalWelfare , #AnimalCruelty , #AndeanBear , #KomodoDragon , #Chimpanzees ,  #PatasMonkey , #Fossa , #Orangutans , #Barriers , #PerimeterFence , #Pandas , #Bison ,  #Gorillas ,  #Lemurs , #Lions

 

Bison Paddock Update & Related Bullshit

I just had five days of peace at home.  All I did was rest.  I didn't check any goals off my to-do list.  Each day I had a fleeting thought about whether to write this post.  Before I venture back to the outdoor world, I'm gonna give it a go.

Last Tuesday morning as I drove by the Bison, I stopped and took photos of the main meadow.  This marked the fourth or fifth time I've done this since summer started.  

Last September, two weeks shy of exactly a year ago, I wrote yet another post about the Bison, titled, "Bison Meadow Saga - Fall Update & My New Idea".  It basically gave an updated overview of my most recent efforts to try and get the RecPark to finally fix the main meadow Sprinkler, so the Bison could have appropriate vegetation to graze on.  It also included an idea for removing the patches of toxic weed that has been growing there. The following month, in another post I mentioned that I had shared that idea with the appropriate person on the Zoo Staff, as I figured the RecPark isn't going to do it, maybe the Zoo could make it a Renew the Zoo project.  I also noted I would be pausing my efforts, as I had done all I could do.  I noted that I would still monitor the situation and update in June, after the rainy season that leaves the meadow green, and the start of summer that dries out the meadow and leaves it brown and void of any edible vegetation.

For those who don't know, since I used the word toxic, I want to note that the Bison do not bother with those weeds, so there is no danger to them.  Additionally since edible vegetation is scarce, Zoo Keepers put out additional food to supplement what they don't get from optimum natural grazing behavior.

It's unfortunate that no one thought removing these weeds was beneficial, as now, with the high winds last winter seed must have blown fierce as those weeds have tripled and now cover a majority of the meadow.  Any green that is seen, is those weeds.  It's an illusion.  Not edible vegetation for the Bison. Not green landscape.  That is the brown you see.  Anything edible is dried out from no water.

Taken last Tuesday

This is a good place to note that the purpose of this post, at this time is pure documentation.  I had planned to just update Supervisor Connie Chan, as I asked for her assistance in my efforts last year.  Considering the state of increasing dry in the last five months, I thought she should know, contrary to what the RecPark told us over a year ago, apparently they never fixed the Sprinklers.  I did not plan to blog about Bison any further.  

I did start that update post in June, but after asking the Zoo Staffer what happened with my idea, and being told higher ups deemed the toxic weed removal not something they wanted to pursue, I really just thought, fuck it all. With the exception of a mention in my August 16 post titled, "Long Winded Management and City Officials Bullshit Wrap-Up", about this and RecPark's Sprinkler fail, among other things Bison and Zoo related, I was done.  

Then bullshit happened.

After stopping by the Bison last Tuesday, I went to the Zoo.  I heard a rumor that someone made a call about the Bison, and the Zoo was pinning it on me.  I ran into someone, and straightened that out right quick, but this does need some unpacking.  

First, I don't do anything Anonymously.  For eighteen years of Zoo concerns, my name has been on everything I do.  Second, the call was allegedly asking Why the Bison were in the back enclosure.  This is not to make what I post self-important, but someone there should be following along, and if they had been they should know, my concerns have pretty much exclusively been the Sprinkler issue, and in the last year that toxic weed removal.  I asked a Keeper about the Ladies being in the back after seeing them there several weeks in a row, as I was curious if work was going to be done on the Sprinklers or weeds, which requires access to main meadow.  Other than that I trust what the Keepers do.  Third, there is a handful+ of people on Staff who know how to get a hold of me, someone should have asked if it was me, before labeling it with my name.  

This only other thing about this that I will note is, I find it odd that an inquiry regarding something that is seemingly nothing more than a curiosity, needed to have blame attached to it.  Considering it obviously had to have been anonymous, the Zoo or RecPark could have posted the answer to the question to social media, but instead it was put on me, and addressing a member of the public's concern, whether mine or as it was, someone else's, it was ignored.

Circling back to the RecPark, who's obligation it is to maintain the Bison Paddock as a whole, in previous posts I have noted in addition to their failure regarding the Sprinkler and toxic weeds, that the signage around the enclosure fencing needs replacing.  I'm going to repeat this as in my opinion, the multi-placement of these signs that have previously read, DOGS MUST BE HELD ON LEASH IN THIS AREA OF THE PARK, is important.  There are hardly any of these signs left and all but one that I saw, look like this...

Note that the RecPark is well aware of these concerns, as I send blog posts the Commissioners.

These signs are not for nothing.  Dog owners ignore leash laws, and one got into the back enclosure not long after the arrival of the last group of babie Bison, and one lost it's life.  That alone should be a reason that these signs are up, clearly readable, and placed continuously along the whole perimeter.  That said, I believe the Dog got in through an existing access point.  The day after that tragedy I walked the entire perimeter and was able to stick my foot under the fence in thirty-six places.  These holes either started by Dogs off leash or Coyotes, should have been securely filled by RecPark who is supposed to check daily that the entire fence line is secure.  Some of these holes just had pine cones stuck in them.  Big Fail. 

For that post I was going to do this summer, I made this comparison to what the sign in the front of the main meadow looks like.  The RecPark cares so little, they let the attraction's main signage continue to look like shit with the same graffiti for near a year.  There is no regular attention to it.  It looked the same with some additional graffiti last week.

Additionally, the Bison attract many visitors.  When they are in the back enclosure, they are hard to see.  A park neighbor who I know, also loves the Bison and visits them on her daily walk. She had an idea and contacted RecPark and suggested they put a sign directing visitors around to the west side for viewing.  That was over a year ago.  We both continue to direct people ourselves when we are there.  No reason people shouldn't be able to get the closest look possible of Our Beautiful Ladies.

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> Related Posts:  

September 21, 2025
Bison Meadow Saga - Fall Update & My New Idea

https://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2025/09/bison-meadow-saga-fall-update-my-new.html

August 16, 2026
Long Winded Management and City Officials Bullshit Wrap-Up

https://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2026/08/long-winded-management-and-city.html

> Content History:  Use Search Box in upper left corner and search "Bison".  There are dozens of posts.

> Comments:  Note that Anonymous Comments are accepted.  I moderate all comments before publishing.  If you are using this form for a non-publish correspondence, please note "Personal" on it.  Thank you for your participation and/or feedback.

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

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  , #SanFranciscoZooCEODirectorCassandraCostello , #FormerSanFranciscoZooDirectorTanyaPeterson , #SanFranciscoRecreationAndParksDept , #FormerSanFranciscoMayorLondonBreed , #SanFranciscoMayorDanielLurie , #AssociationOfZoosAndAquariums , #AZA , #SpeciesSurvivalPlan , #SSP , #Animals , #Wildlife , #Nature , #AnimalWelfare , #AnimalCruelty , #AndeanBear , #KomodoDragon , #Chimpanzees ,  #PatasMonkey , #Fossa , #Orangutans , #Barriers , #PerimeterFence , #Pandas , #Bison ,  #Gorillas ,  #Lemurs , #Lions