Saturday Visit - The Good, Bad and Inappropriate

I rarely go out on the Weekend.  I knew the Cubs would be getting snow, so I braved the heat and holiday crowds, to go out for a bit and see these babies having some fun that I hadn't seen yet.

                                          Cubbies in the Snow!

On the way out, the Lemur Cafe was shut down as the Fire Dept was there.  Apparently it got so hot in there it tripped the alarm and SFFD came out.  Allegedly there are no fans or Air Conditioning in the grill/kitchen area.  How is that possible?  I have no idea what laws are for this, but I can't imagine its legal to have employees operating the grill/fryer/ect.  especially in warm weather, without the relief of a cooling system.  The Cafe is run by an outside company, but it must follow Zoo Management as I understand.  I think its pretty cruel, especially with the heatwave, to have no way for the employees to stay cool. This all said, come on SFZoo, make sure the workers in the Cafe have better working conditions. This was the Bad.

Now for the  Obnoxious.  I hate to have to write about this, but I got a feeling I need to document this interaction.  I wanted to say something to management about this, but every time I talk to them about something like this, it seems to get sloughed off.  Different rules apply when I complain about something.  Like the times I've said something when Visitors have put Animals in danger and I've been sworn at by Visitors and management does nothing.  For those not interested, I understand, skip it and check out my Cub group on Facebook Rescued Bear Cub Club for videos of the babies enjoying the Snow and Ice Treats!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/110513812976818/

While watching the Cubs, a couple started talking to me about how cute they are.  I said, I know, I've been out several times a week and love them so much I have a FB Group for them.  The guy said, "The Zoo should hire you."  I laughed and said, "Oh the Zoo would never hire me, they don't like me."  He asked why.  I said,  "Because I look out for the Animals and if you care about the Animals too much, they don't like that."  One of the Docents there then stuck herself between us and said, "That's not true. The Zoo takes good care of the Animals."  The couple looked at her like what's going on?  I said to the Docent, "I never said that they didn't take good care of the Animals."  I turned to the couple and said, "Did I say that?"  They said, "No."  The Docent went on saying, "Yes you did."  I said, "No I didn't."  She continued to say I did, so I asked her to tell me exactly what I said that implied that.  She had to think for a minute and then said, "You said, The Zoo doesn't like people who care about the Animals."  I said, "That's exactly the truth."   ... But, that in no way implies an opinion about the care of the Animals.

Digress - That is what I said, because in my experience that's the truth. It had nothing to do with their care. The Zoo Director and other Management do not like if anyone cares too much.  Its no secret, I've written about it, and its been demonstrated at Zoo Meetings, when I personally have seen Management, Park and Rec, and Board members roll their eyes, when Keepers would bring up Animal issues that they could not get addressed any other way than in that forum.  As well, in the way so many long time Keepers have either been let go or run out of there, for addressing Animal concerns.  Good Grief, the Zoo went without a Vet on Staff for almost two months, relying only on covering the schedule with previous Vets.  How did this happen?  Allegedly one Vet "retired", or was asked to in lieu of being fired. The other was allegedly fired for allegedly trying to do best by the Animals and having Management oppose.  The Director eventually hired back the Vet that she allegedly fired in the wake of the Patas Monkey scandal, that was documented by KGO News.

Anyway,  So this Docent insinuated herself into our space and interrupted our conversation, and then proceeded to call me a liar.  She didn't hear the whole conversation, and had no idea the progression of the conversation.  In my opinion she was out of line and once again someone there is calling me a liar.  ... I know for a fact that my passion and commitment to watching out for the Animals and speaking up if I think something isn't right, is exactly the reason the Zoo Director and her Management Minions do not like me.  They have no other valid reason, and that is why I have still never received a valid reason for either time my Membership has been taken away. Because what else am I doing while I'm there?  I'm watching the Animals.  I don't even report people over barriers anymore because they don't do anything about it.  So SFZoo, what is it that I'm doing that is so wrong?

Continuing on, So this Docent continued to make her case about the care of the Animals, saying she came from being Anti-Zoo, yadda.   I didn't want to continue with her, but since she was going on and on, touting her position, I was curious, since I had recently witnessed a Docent do nothing when the Bear Cub fell into the pool a couple weeks ago, and I continually see people over the barrier and they say nothing.  So, I said, "I'm not trying to be argumentative, but I want to ask you, Would Advocate for the Animals if you saw something that wasn't right?"  She said, "Yes if she saw an Animal in distress, I would go to Education,..." (I'm thinking go to Education? If an Animal is in distress, why aren't they calling Security?)  Anyway, I said, "That's not what I mean."  I said, "Let me ask you this, Do you think that the Komodo Dragon is living in the ideal situation?"  She said, "Yes, because of his medical condition,..."  I said, "They committed to building him a new home before that and never did."  She said, 'He was small."   I said, "I'm not going to argue about that", and I asked her If when she first became a Docent (2012), at that time did she ever look at the Chimps and think they should have better?  She said, "They are old and can't be moved around."  I said, "Tanya (Director Peterson) tried to kick them out, after they lived here near 50 years,  so she could bring in Orangutans.  I saved those Chimps."  All she had to say was, "We are still getting Orangutans."   I said, "Well, what you've told me is what the Zoo tells you.  You might want to learn more about the Zoo than just what you're told."  Which is true.  I don't believe just what people tell me.  No one should.  I was endeared to the Animals and became passionate about the Zoo almost ten years ago, and I did my research. I read every article on SFGate ever posted, I read every Joint Zoo Committee Document, I searched all the Animals by name,  and found out their history.  Why, because I was interested in learning about the Animals I was lucky to know.  Sadly, even back then I was told by a Staffer that some didn't like me , because it was weird that I cared to know so much about the Animals.  Why would that be something weird?  I think its weird to spend time doing something and not wanting to know more.

Anyway, she walked away and I could hear her behind me loudly talking at groups of people, saying, The Zoo takes good care of the Animals, like she had to still counter something I said, which was NOT even something I said. So inappropriate.

Like I said, I wanted this documented, because who knows if this Docent shared her interaction with me, the Zoo may decide to make something of it, even though she instigated the interaction and at no time did I say anything untrue or inappropriate.  I can talk to who I want.  I can say what I want.  I'm not being vulgar, or threatening, which is in their guidelines. (Although remember, people have been vulgar and threatening to me, yet when I report it nothing is done.) Its not bashing the Zoo, by pointing out things that could be better. It shouldn't be viewed as wrong to want better, instead of accepting mediocrity. I don't often talk about things like that with other visitors, but that conversation with that couple was initiated by them and led that way.  And what I said was true.  The Zoo would never hire me, they don't like me.  They don't like me because I care too much.   

Additionally, contrary to what I've heard, that being that I make stuff up, what I write in this blog, is reflective of what I see with my own eyes.  The Komodo Dragon lives in a Terrarium.  The Chimps have been slighted for over two decades and were set to be sent away.  People hang over the barriers. Those are facts.  Its all the truth.  Its curious that the Zoo is always so concerned with what I say or write, when If they felt secure in what they were doing there, I could say anything and it wouldn't/shouldn't matter.  ... As well, there are people who visit the Zoo everyday who make negative comments about how they think the Animals are, and the enclosures they are in.  I hear them.  Yet its only my opinions that seem to matter so much.  

Ok, so I've sorta digressed again.  Its not right that I should feel like I have to write about such things and repeat stuff I've previously written about.  I got other things to do.  Like write a detailed post about the Komodo Dragon.  But back to yesterday, Bottom line, I should not have been verbally attacked (how I felt) by this Docent and called a liar.  She should never have interrupted a private conversation, or went about involving other visitors with her misinterpretations.  

Security and Docent FAIL During Urgent Animal Accident

Yesterday 8.28.17 marked the Cubs fourth week out on exhibit!  Can't believe how fast time has gone by.   As I start to post (to my Facebook Group Rescued Bear Cub Club) highlights from week two of the Cubs being out on exhibit, I've decided to keep in chronological order and put this out there now.  

In addition to the Cubs having new adventures during their second week out on exhibit, on Tuesday of that week (8.15.17) there was an incident involving an accident with one of the Bear Cubs,  that really upset me. I came home and actually wrote a post about it, but then decided not to publish it and instead maybe talk to some key people at the Zoo in regard to specific issues.  So, like I said, I wasn't going to post about it, but then the next day after I talked to several people (both on Staff and not), I felt I should (and was also encouraged to) document what happened and my issue points and resolutions that in my opinion would better the Zoo. ... Some agreed there is room for improvement in regards to these two issues. Another (this person on staff) had the details wrong and really didn't want to hear the facts, to which I realized this person, as well probably others, really believes the Zoo operates at optimum.  That it's all butterflies and bluebirds, and no room for improvement.  Huh.  

So here's what happened.  I was watching the Bear Cubs. They were playing at the edge of the pool and the little girl fell backwards into the pool. A drop that I've been told was 20-40 ft.  I immediately freaked out, as she is not only very small, but had not even been in the pool yet, and I had heard varied accounts of whether there was any water in the pool, ranging from alittle to break a fall, and none, which would just leave concrete.  There was no Animal Staff there, no Security.  I'll say right here that I'm just painting the picture, I have no issue with Animal Staff, or this Dept. The second I saw her fall, I ran to the side to see if I could see her in the pool, (even though with any depth seeing into the pool was impossible), maybe on the stairs, something.  My phone hasn't been working right and I knew trying to make a call would take too much time.  I was growing worried as she hadn't come out and little boy was pacing the edge looking into the pool.  I saw a Docent and asked her if she had a radio. She did not.  I pulled out my phone, which as expected was wonky, so I asked her to call for help and pointed to the sign with the phone number.  I called out to little girl and no response. I started calling to the Keeper, but the way the exhibit is built it would be long shot that she'd hear me. I called to little girl again, nothing.  I was imaging her laying on the cement, unable to move. Finally I got my phone to work and I called Zoo ER number that goes to Security.  I got voicemail! Too much time had passed (several long minutes) so I turned to run to find someone, and saw Curator Ron walking towards me. I told him what happened, and he ran to the back, and I heard him call over the radio for all Keepers to Bears.  A few minutes later, after Keepers went to the ledge above the exhibit to look down to the pool, Keepers rang the lunch bell that the Cubs are trained to come to, to call little boy in.  He left the edge of the pool and ran to the den,  and as soon as he cleared the doorway, little girl shot out of the pool and ran there too!  I was so happy to see her run out and all her limbs working!  I was so worried, I did alot of praying and crying in that short amount of time.  Very thankful she was ok.  I did't know if she got the wind knocked out of her, blacked out, whatever it was that prevented her from surfacing til she heard the bell, but, geez (at the time) I wondered if I wasn't there and acted quick, no one else reacted to do anything, and she could have just laid at the bottom of the pool, possibly in critical state, for who knows how long.  I say at the time, because the next day I confirmed there was 2.5 ft of water in there and pool is 8-10 ft deep and she was swimming!  She was still checked out by the Vet and all was ok.

I'm glad, no matter how the Zoo Director and some upper level Management treat me, that I'm still there, watching out for the Animals.  They can try to make me the Villain and say things that aren't true so people think I'm the enemy, but thankfully I've been blessed to be there at a lot of the right moments over the years, to watch out for these precious Animals.  I'm also grateful to those who were there that thanked me, and those that always recognize value my observations and actions. 

So, my two issue points. 

#1 - Calling Security and getting voicemail.  Initially I was really upset by this, and immediately talked to Staffer Lamar about it.  He said it was probably a service issue.  If there was no service, I wouldn't have gotten voicemail.  So that wasn't it.  I later realized that possibly the Docent had gotten through at the same time I did which caused my call to roll over to voicemail. I thought that was a good possibility, but several people said they wouldn't count on that being what actually happened. I was also told, by a couple of people that it was when I told the Curator what happened that the call went out.  Regardless, to me, having an ER number go to voicemail is unacceptable.  That's like getting voicemail when you call 911.  There could very well be two ERs there at the same time. People need to get through. Hypothetically, with so many people breaching barriers there, when this pool accident was happening, someone could have dropped their kid in at Rhinos, and what, call to get a voicemail? While that's extreme, why even have that happen, when the solution is to just have two phones, and the calls roll over to the second phone when first one is busy.  Problem solved.  ... I also want to note that I did not leave a voicemail.  In previous times, when I would call and end up hanging up, one of the Security Guards always called back (caller ID) to find out if there was a problem.  No one called back this time.  

#2 - The Docent just standing there watching the accident unfold.  I wrote years ago about the lack of awareness and initiation from the Docents.  For one, the Zoo doesn't hire enough Security Guards, so they should teach the Docents how to identify situations in which they should call Security.  Not that Security is all that aware either.  Alot of Staff could use a lecture in being aware of visitor misbehavior and identifying Animal issues.  Anyway, back to this incident.  This Docent stood there and watched and would never have even thought to call for help unless I asked her to.  I don't understand that. Witnessing a situation where an Animal is possibly in distress and just standing there?  That just shouldn't happen.  If the Zoo cares enough about this, they can ask me who the Docent was. ... If Docents are not going to carry radios, they should have the ER number programmed into their phones and instructed when to use it.  If the Docents aren't going to be extra eyes on the grounds, what are they there to do? because most of the time they don't even have the facts about the Animals correct. ... I retold this incident to another Docent the next day and she said she didn't even know there was an ER number!   Does anyone actually guide the Docents?

The Zoo needs to have a back-up ER cell phone, so no call goes unanswered.

The Zoo needs to educate their Docents to identify situations that would require them to call Security, or at least go and seek help.