San Francisco Zoo Chimpanzee's Ask Santa for New Play Area

Santa hasn't arrived at the Zoo yet, but has a mailbox set-up at the Zoo's Lemur Cafe, where Visitors can leave their letters for him.  So, yesterday my Friend Lee and I took the opportunity to ask Santa for some things on behalf of our much loved Chimp Friends, Cobby, Maggie and Minnie.  

My internet has been down, so I haven't been able to post for a few weeks now, but I've been writing posts and hope to have them posted by the weekend.  One post is about my Chimp Friends.  Its long overdue and over a year in the making.  I love these Chimps and every week I see them and want more for them. 

I'm going to keep this post short, so please check back and read the longer one.  For now, a little info on the Trio and why they need Santa's help!  

The Triple grotto where the Chimps live has been their home since they arrived.  Cobby in 1968, Maggie and Minnie in 1970.  Both Girls were taken from the wild as infants and brought to the Zoo at less than a year old.  At 45 years old, this is the only home they've known.  Cobby came to the Zoo at the age of ten, after being surrendered by the person who owned him (after obtaining him as a wild born infant) and used him in Entertainment.  This has been his home for 46 years.

Information that I've found shows the cement surface of the Triple Grotto was landscaped and the current structures built in the mid-80s.  There have been no upgrades since.  The structure in the third grotto was taken down a few years ago due to a safety issue.  A huge tree trunk was added.  Their access to the third grotto seems inconsistent.  So, their daily "active" (both accessible and for movement) outside area consists of two "island" surfaces and two near 30 year old structures.  One made of metal that has peeling and rusting paint.

The Chimps home needs some work.  In 1997 a City Bond was voted in, that gave money for a new exhibit, (The Great Ape Forest), that never materialized and the money misappropriated.  Now with their age, doing work that would displace them to another part of the Zoo or cause them stress from the noise, really isn't an option in my opinion.  BUT that doesn't mean there aren't things that can be done to their living area that wouldn't bother them too much in the process.

So, since the Zoo has failed to give them much in the way of upgrades and other stimulating items and activities that would Enrich their lives, we turned to Santa during this time of giving.

Please read my next Chimp post for more information, thoughts and suggestions about this plea.

Zoo-Years Resolutions! Part One - Make Exhibit Barriers Safe for the Animals

I will work on this post in full soon.  I mentioned it in a previous post and had intention to get it done by end of January.  

I want to once again, document even further the issues at the Zoo regarding Barrier Breaching and Visitor Misbehavior.  As people were posting New Years Resolutions on Facebook I thought, The Zoo needs to make some Resolutions to keep the Animals safe.  That's when I thought to not only synopsis my previous Barrier issues, but expand on them AND make this post a Call to Action that the Zoo make improvements to Exhibits and Visitor Behavior Guidelines that protect the Animals.

I have noted many Barrier issues.  I have made many suggestions.  I have more, and will definitely post them.  Til the time I can finish this post in full, I will note a couple things.

I have posted and am very vocal about non-glassed in Exhibits.  Don't get me wrong,  I do love the open air and naturalistic aesthetics of Exhibits like our Savannah and other smaller Exhibits like the Puente, Peccaries, Kangaroos, Mandrills, Patas Monkeys, Anteater, as well as all other open aired Exhibits.  That said, I don't think any of them are safe for the Animals.  I do think that when Exhibits like the Savannah were built, over a dozen yrs ago now, Exhibits like this were what all Zoos aspired to have and have built since.  Unfortunately, as the better designed Exhibits grew, so did the amount and degree of Visitor misbehavior.   While all Zoos mentality is to keep moving forward with these type of Exhibit designs, such a future for Zoos in my opinion endangers their Residents.  The Animals who live in these Exhibits are vulnerable to threats of dangerous objects being thrown in and trespassers, who might cost them their life.

In regard to trespassing, our Zoo has finally posted a few (literally) signs about this.  I have posted them here previously.  They are useless as they are worded.  More on that later.  The reason I note this here is because of how valid the issue of trespassing is.  In 2009, our own Grizzly Bears were in danger of losing their lives as a Barrier Breach led to a Man entering their enclosure.  With Rifles pointed at them, they are lucky they didn't touch the Man or they would have been shot.  Dead, because a worthless Human was able to enter their home.  I have seen Visitor constantly dangle over the Barriers.  I saw a Woman, arms outstretched extend her babie over the Rhinos and say "Here Rhino"!!!   While this was not a move of Evil intent, this was a move by a complete Moron.  THIS on the heels of a Woman dropping her kid to its death into an exhibit at the Pittsburgh Zoo.  If you haven't read about this and want to, google it or search my blog I posted about it.

In regard to objects being dropped or thrown into Exhibits, curiously I have only seen a sign at Sea Lions (I think). Sadly, this can happen at any open air Exhibit.  I have seen many items in Exhibits over the years.  Last year, the Gorillas had a plastic pacifier that after being shared between three of them, finally got to Five yr old Hasani and he was eating the broken pieces.  I also heard allegedly that both one of our Sea Lions and one of our Snow Leopards had to have surgery to extract foreign objects from their insides.  Just last week a Polar Bear at a Zoo in Germany, died from eating a coat and handbag that were dropped into his enclosure.  The information in this article is heartbreaking.  No one even alerted Staff that something was dropped in.  There is just no relying on Humans to do the right thing.  It also notes other objects thrown in over the years at this Zoo. Thankfully I haven't seen anything this scale, but it only takes one time.  Our Sea Lion and Snow Leopard could have easily lost their lives.

http://www.thelocal.de/20140211/polar-bear-dies-after-eating-coat-and-bag

Both these issues pose a threat to the Animals.  The first also poses a threat to the Visitor, which is the Zoos priority, so you would think they would do what they can to safeguard the Public, which would then safeguard the Animals, who are my concern.

I find it curious, and I have had this discussion with a friend, that people are opposed to glassing the Exhibits based on viewing and photography issues.  Yes, it does not lend to the best of either BUT if it keeps the Animals safe that is all that matters.  At least to me.  No view or photo is worth having the Animals vulnerable or at risk of losing their life.   I maintain that safety glassing all the enclosures should be the future of the Zoo.

This was intended to be a brief note about what I intended for this post.  Turned out to be more.  Will continue this in a Part Two, which I will post some additional thoughts as I'm sure Ill have them, as well as documentation of offences, and suggestions for improvements.