Easter at the San Francisco Zoo - Will there be Easter Enrichment?

Did the Easter Bunny visit the Animals who live at the Zoo?  OR Will yet another Holiday pass where they don't get fun treats?   Admittedly I think I saw what looked like sunken in mache eggs outside the Lion House but I'm not sure.   I hope I'm right, but even if there is a few, it still didn't appear to be enough for all the Cats and then what about the other Animals?  So the point of this post is still relevant.  That point would once again be, that the San Francisco Zoo provides no fun "toy" type Enrichments for the Animals for Holidays, Birthdays, or any days. If they do its on the rarest of occasion and minimal.   The most along those lines I've seen in the past couple years, is some painted boxes (if they are lucky to have that additional stimulation) otherwise most of it is grocery bags and boxes supplies come in.  

I used to go on Easter, I went last year, but there were no "toys" for the Animals.  I sat here on St Patricks Day and a stream of photos from Zoo's I follow on Facebook were posted of Animals getting Holiday themed Enrichment.  Yet another year has started and no Holiday fun has been given to the Animals at the San Francisco Zoo.  Nothing on Valentines Day, nothing on St Patricks Day, nothing for International Polar Bear Day, nothing for Mardi Gras, NOTHING!  Oh wait, Belozi (Male Black Rhino) got some Football themed Enrichment, but that is only because the SFZoo likes to get in on anything Sports related that might land them in the News.  They will pick an Animal and pimp it out for Media attention.   That is why we have many Animals who have been renamed a 49er  (poor Belozi is now Boone) or a Giants player.   

I'm not sure why they can't give the animals something, other than they just don't care or are plain lazy.  There are Staffers whose job it is to organize such things.  When such Staffers didn't like that my friend Lee and I were making Enrichment Toys (both because they personally didn't like us, which was more important than the Animals enjoyment AND because we were doing something they were supposed to be doing as part of their job) we were pushed out.  The Carnivore Curator said to me, "Give us a chance."  Well I've been waiting  Two and a half years now and I still don't see any Enrichment Toys on a regular basis let alone Holidays.  Interestingly enough, the word "Enrichment" used to be there "glory" word, but since they can't produce that, they have been touting "Wellness" the past year.  Its all bullocks as no other Zoo uses the word Wellness, but every one uses Enrichment.  Its apparent that they and their Dr Do-Little Maples made that up so they had something to pat themselves on the back about. In my opinion Wellness should be a given and should have been for years.

The zoo spotlights the Humans on Holidays instead of spotlighting the Animals for the Humans.  The Zoo is supposed to be a place to Learn about and View Animals, yet nothing is done to highlight them as part of their Events.  Its just sad.  These animals live in captivity and need something fun to do for at least a short portion of their day.  When we did Toy Day every Saturday for months, the Cats were up and active for at least three hours.  While the Keeper got the Toys ready, while they watched her bring the Toys out for each Big Cat, and then when it was their own turn.  Now the Cats are never active.  The poor Chimps, the get so excited to get stuff, yet they always get the same old stuff too.  They have been getting the same Halloween buckets for the past two Halloweens.  I was so happy when this Halloween finally came around so they were in theme.  Do we think this year maybe they will get Easter baskets?  Target has them for less than three bucks.  Do we think there will be a Birthday for the Girls on April 25 (their estimated Birthdays as listed in the Chimpanzee Studbook)?  No.  Miss Tallulah passed away without one and she was the oldest living Female in a Zoo.  Cobby (the Male) hasn't had one since 2009 when Lee and I basically shamed them into doing one because we said we were bringing him a Birthday Card.

http://gooberssfzoofriends.blogspot.com/search?q=chimp+girls

Anyway you get what i'm saying, the SFZoo does not provide much fun for the Animals.  The staff in charge of Enrichment there rarely makes things that are fun.  I don't get it.  AND if they were doing it we'd see it.  

Instead the Enrichment Photo Gallery continues to have only two photos in it, since all the others they used were stolen from Lee and myself and used without permission, to which we told them to take them down.  The one of Jahari (Lion) that is the thumbnail may very well be one of Lee's but she can't find the original file, yet it goes uncredited as well is not a part of the gallery when you open it.  AND the two photos in the gallery don't show any Enrichment Toys that were made and hasn't for over a year.  

They note in this link they make paper mache' creatures when the only ones ever made were by Lee and I.

http://www.sfzoo.org/animals-enrich

While you have the flip-side put forth by the Houston Zoo who has a Facebook page called

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Houston-Zoo-Animal-Enrichment/161035040673080?fref=ts

The Zoo does alot of what I call "promotional allure".   The other day they posted (on Facebook) a photo of Sea Lion Henry with a Egg shaped Jolly Ball.   Which alludes you to think that the Animals do and will get themed treats.  When in reality this is one of his regular toys.  On St Patricks Day there was another such post to which I asked in so many words, What kind of fun Holiday themed treats did the Animals get?  They obviously gave them none, so they took down not only my comment but their whole St Patricks Day post.

I've asked about Easter lets see what happens.  

This all said, I leave you with a post I made from Easter Day 2010.   It was a rainy day and I went solo to visit my Big Cat Friends and their Keeper Barb whose no longer there :(  provided each and every one of them with something to celebrate the Holiday and most important to celebrate THEM!

http://thebigcatnip.blogspot.com/2010/08/easter-in-lion-house.html

And a link to Easter fun this year at the London Zoo where Jae-Jae, one of  "Leanne's" (Skylar) boys from her previous litter now lives.  He and his girlfriend Melati got paper-mache eggs!

https://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/news/tigers-enjoy-the-easter-bunny,1068,NS.html

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As with all posts,

please expand comments

for additional insight and information.

Check back as I reply to all comments.

Contact the San Francisco Zoo Director Tanya Peterson

if you want your voice heard.

tanyap@sfzoo.org

Thank You for taking the time to read

about things that matter to me.

Fans of the Family Farm! - New Facebook Community

Yesterday, I launched a Facebook page for those of us who love the Animals at the Zoo's Family Farm.   I had wanted to do a Fan page for my Main Zoo Animal Friends a couple years ago and never got to it.   I spend alot of time at the Farm visiting with all my wonderful Friends who live there.  There is a great community there among regular Visitors, Volunteers, Keepers and of course the Animals!  So, I do this for all of them, which includes my friends who love our Barnyarders!  

Please check out my page and "like" if you are a Fan of the Farm Friends or Animals in general :)  

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fans-of-the-San-Francisco-Zoo-Family-Farm-Friends/425684734187762

I hope to build a Community to Celebrate the Awesome Animals who live on the Farm! Learn about these Wonderful Beings! Communicate & share your Photos w/other Farm Fans!   Hope you will join us!

Yay! Gotta Glimpse of the Tiger Cub!

As of yesterday the Lion House has been open four days for the Public to have a chance to catch a glimpse of the Tiger Cub.  Waiting the full two hour opportunity three of those days, paid off and the sweet little thing came out yesterday for the first time to see her fans :)  Well, she didn't actually look out, but she didn't have a fun romp and play with her Mama for about two minutes, and then back to the security of her nest she went!

View my video of the experience 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clYVMWVsdew

Until this moment, no one from the General Public has seen her, so I was very lucky and grateful to her for coming out :)  Look forward to seeing more of you little cutie!  AND watching you grow up like I was lucky to do with your big Brothers!

Spring Break Unruliness - Chimps a Constant Target

With Spring Break week coming to a close and Easter Weekend upon us, I must post again about the lack of control of Visitors the Zoo has.  After today, I will have been to the Zoo four times this week.  Its been crowded and as usual Visitors misbehaving all over the place.  There has been the typical and expected barrier breaching, but the thing that bothered me most was the lack of protection provided for the Chimps.  

In previous posts about this I have noted that the use of the Police style barricades that they use on Free Day should be up at other times as well.  Frankly I think at the Chimps age and tendency to get upset easily, they should be up everyday, but definitely on expected busy days like weekends, holidays (school ones included) and events.  

As I approached Chimps on Tuesday, there was a huge crowd that included Security and Zoo Staff.  My eyes immediately went to the Animals and Cobby was visibly upset.  I don't know the specifics but was told items were thrown out of the enclosure.  This only happens when a Visitor upsets them.  

If the Police barriers were up that would help in creating a distance that doesn't feel as threatening to the Chimps as the current distance.  

If there was more signage about behavior not only at the Chimps (who are a constant target), but at the front and around the Zoo, some of this misbehavior could be deterred.

This is a view of the Chimp area.  Most Visitors approach this area at the beginning of their visit from the direction I've taken this photo.  The only "shoosh" sign in the whole area is the one at the far end where I've placed the arrow.  There is a Respect the Animals sign to the far right but its so far over it didn't even fit in the photo.  Yes, not many pay attention to the signs, but the size and amount that are out there are not enough, especially at the hot spot that the Chimps are.

Also when this happens and a crowd has formed, why isn't the area cleared?  or at the very least Visitors asked to step back?

I have posted about this before, so the Zoo is aware and I must assume they just don't care.  I have heard that  allegedly Visitors complain they aren't "close" enough with the use of these barriers.  Excuse me San Francisco Zoo isn't the protection and "Wellness" of the Animals a priority?

New Goat Girls Arrive on the Family Farm!

Yesterday I was lucky enough to be at the Farm when the new girls arrive from quarantine!  I have been anxiously awaiting their arrival since they got to the Zoo on January 31.  All Animals go through a 30-day quarantine before being brought to exhibit.  

The three new ladies are San Clemente Island Goats, a new rare breed for the Family Farm.   Two of the three are pregnant, so we can look forward to babies approximately the end of April!   The girls, Rosa, Rita and Ramona will not be in the mix of the Barnyard for petting just yet,  they are going to be in the barn until they get acclimated to their new home and new Farm Family.

New girls meeting Nataani!

See my video footage of all the fun :)

(well at least what I could see from where I was :)

Full Length version

includes Girls arrival 

and meeting a few new friends :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEhIti8cIA4

Short version

portion of full

showing girls fresh 

out of their carriers :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHaUb4_P_rY

Follow me on Twitter "leo811"

for more photos and updates 

on these girls and all the Family Farm Friends!

Happy Birthday Wakoda! - Navajo Churro Sheep Birthday

Wakoda turned 12 today!

Happy Birthday Wakoda!

I Love You So Much

My Cute, Precious Friend :)

I am so glad I was able to celebrate you're special day with you!  I think you liked the Ukulele sing-along!  Four Happy Birthday songs and many Birthday huggies!  You are very special to me, my Sweet :)  XO!

Hear/Watch two of the four Birthday song renditions :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-czcGCMPqBk

A Different Kind of Barrier Breaching - Foreign Objects in Animal Enclosures

I have written several posts on Humans breaching barriers.  I've showed photos of Humans standing on and hanging over barriers.  The only thing to change at the San Francisco Zoo in relation to that is a few 5x8 signs telling people not to do either, posted at the Black Rhino.  

I have also posted that in this time in society, sadly a different approach to how (and why) barriers secure Animal enclosures should be taken.   My suggestions in past posts note that I'd like to see all the Animals behind glass barriers.  

My above suggestion is probably not the popular option, especially in a time when Zoo's and other Animal facilities are trying to make the enclosures Animals live in while in captivity as close to a natural habitat as possible.  That said, as noted above "this time in society", is such that the Human population  sadly can't behave themselves for Animals to be safe in open air enclosures.

I was the first person who missed the open air at Grotto's when the Human taunting of Tiger Tatiana got her killed and forced the Zoo to enclose the open air viewing with glass and mesh.  BUT it had to be done.  Public perception is this is to keep the Animals in.  Personally, I feel like its to keep the Humans out.

Sadly, five years after the Tiger attack, I have still seem Visitors taunt the Big Cats, with verbal heckling, banging on the glass, and even throwing stuff thru the mess and over the glass.  These actions aren't isolated to just the Big Cats.  This type of behavior and more happens at every Animal's home.

That said, even mesh is not a good barrier.   I have noted in posts over a couple years that I have seen foreign objects in Animal enclosures.  Countless times there has been different types of plastic bags in the Lemurs, small toys in the Puente, and other assorted choke size items.  

Last year alone, Henry the Seal and Niya the Snow Leopard both had surgery to remove foreign objects from their intestines.  ... Two weeks ago, food items were thrown into both the Gorillas and the Mandrills.  Last week, another food item went into the Gorillas and the following day when I was there,  Zura one of the female Gorillas was chewing on a pacifier!  After her Nneka took it and broke it to pieces and then Hasani the four year old took the smaller pieces and chewed on them.  

Broken record on repeat:

*Why are there no big signs telling people what not to do?  

*Why hasn't my suggestion of having a video of how to behave in the Zoo not been taken to fruition?

*Why doesn't Zoo Staff/Docents/Security stand at the Gate House and give a speech to Visitors about behaving?  They do this now for school groups, but the worst perpetrators are adults.  

*Why aren't there Docents assisting the Security in patroling the grounds AND watching what the Visitors are doing.

AND lastly, if the Zoo is so bent on patting themselves on the back for providing "Wellness" why aren't they being proactive in protecting the Animals?   When they hired their "Wellness" Guru, he suggested (which I did already) that a glass barrier go up at Gorillas, so people couldn't (hang over) and look down at them.  Curiously, only three of five viewing platforms is glassed in.   Half-assed I say.  I mean really,  It makes no sense.  BUT then again the barriers at Bears that were put in after an alleged escape attempt by one of the Polar Bears are downright ridiculous in their own right.  Two of three grottos have the barrier.  Again???

Yes it would be costly to glass in all the enclosures, but if the Zoo can spend 3.4 Million Dollars on a new playground, they can surely ask donors to help keep the Animals safe, considering the donors are supposed to "care" about the Zoo, which should equal caring about the Animals safety.  In addition it would cut down the constant flow of misbehavior.  Including fools who try to enter the enclosures and put the Animals lives at risk.

Yes, it would be cause for complaints from the public who want to see Animals open air, but those complaining would only be the ones who misbehave.  Those who actually care about Animals would get it.  Sure I don't like taking photos behind glass, but I care more about the Animals safety.

Additionally, there needs to be some at-a-glance (BIG lettered) signage at the Family Farm entrance, telling people not to bring in food, not to feed the animals anything but food they sell there, not to bring in any plastic bags to hold the food in or have hanging out of pockets/purses, not to sit on the animals, not to pull on their horns, not to chase the animals.  Good Grief I have recently and constantly seen people do all these things, which included an adult try to sit on a Dwarf Goat, put a Lollipop w/stick in a Goats mouth, and watch a Sheep throw up a plastic baggie.

Come on SFZoo get your Graphics Dept doing their job and making some decent sized signs displaying behavior rules bluntly.  Then work on enclosing the exhibits to protect the Animals.

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As with all posts,

please expand comments

for additional insight and information.

Check back as I reply to all comments.

Contact the San Francisco Zoo Director Tanya Peterson

if you want your voice heard.

tanyap@sfzoo.org

Thank You for taking the time to read

about things that matter to me.