I am a Richmond District, San Francisco Native and Resident. The SFZOO is my lifelong Zoo and I have been a member most of my adult life. Over the past couple years I have been in the position to be able to visit the Zoo more regularly, sometimes, up to three times a week. During this time I yformed friendships with many on the Keeper Staff, assorted other Staff, Docents and Zoo Members. I have had the great opportunity to learn more about the Animals that live there, who I call my Zoo Friends. They gave me comfort in a difficult time and the Zoo had become the most dear place to me outside my home.
Two years ago I met Lee, who was a Docent at the time. We both shared a great love for the Zoo Friends and became friends ourselves. Last summer, Lee renewed her membership at Guardian Level which means you pay $1000.00 for a one year membership.
With Lee having been a Docent and both of us loving to share what we know, we would engage Visitors with information on every visit. That snowballed into the mission for my original blog, goober's sfzoo friends. I was tired of hearing people talk negatively about a place I love, as well post all over the internet in such places as yelp, and felt I could make a difference in the perception by educating and therefore hopefully endearing people to the Animals and the Zoo, as I had become.
One of our most favorite things is to see the Friends when the get Enrichment toys, like during the Halloween and Christmas events. Before the Zoo allegedly fired the gal who used to be in charge of Member's Mornings, she would often plan that monthly event around an Animals birthday.
Because our love of Cats is so strong, last February we asked the Big Cat Keeper if we could make something for the Lions as a collective Birthday, since we had missed two and a third was coming up. She was enthusiastic and a new tradition was born. We started making Enrichment toys on a weekly basis, until October, in which the Curator of Carnivores, Corinne MacDonald stepped in and took this fun away from the Cats (you can read more about this and see some wonderful photos on my blog, the big cat nip).
I was also lucky enough to be part of a small group of people who made donations to purchase a bench in Tatiana's memory, of which I did in my own passed kitty's memory.
This backstory is to illustrate how dedicated both Lee and I are to the Zoo Friends, and at one time the Zoo.
Two years ago I met Lee, who was a Docent at the time. We both shared a great love for the Zoo Friends and became friends ourselves. Last summer, Lee renewed her membership at Guardian Level which means you pay $1000.00 for a one year membership.
With Lee having been a Docent and both of us loving to share what we know, we would engage Visitors with information on every visit. That snowballed into the mission for my original blog, goober's sfzoo friends. I was tired of hearing people talk negatively about a place I love, as well post all over the internet in such places as yelp, and felt I could make a difference in the perception by educating and therefore hopefully endearing people to the Animals and the Zoo, as I had become.
One of our most favorite things is to see the Friends when the get Enrichment toys, like during the Halloween and Christmas events. Before the Zoo allegedly fired the gal who used to be in charge of Member's Mornings, she would often plan that monthly event around an Animals birthday.
Because our love of Cats is so strong, last February we asked the Big Cat Keeper if we could make something for the Lions as a collective Birthday, since we had missed two and a third was coming up. She was enthusiastic and a new tradition was born. We started making Enrichment toys on a weekly basis, until October, in which the Curator of Carnivores, Corinne MacDonald stepped in and took this fun away from the Cats (you can read more about this and see some wonderful photos on my blog, the big cat nip).
I was also lucky enough to be part of a small group of people who made donations to purchase a bench in Tatiana's memory, of which I did in my own passed kitty's memory.
This backstory is to illustrate how dedicated both Lee and I are to the Zoo Friends, and at one time the Zoo.
I feel blessed to have been part of the Enrichment for the BigCats. I have formed friendships at the zoo. When you go every single week, you do see the same folks, docents, keepers and frequent visitors. We have been dedicated and have put a lot of very long, hard work into helping the zoo, why now, are we being crucified? I believe also, that a lot of this stems from the reasons above with the management and enrichments. This is sad, very said and depressing. My heart has just sunken over this.
ReplyDelete@Lee- Why now? It seems that "now" because they think they have a valid reason that they can pass off. We were never treated nicely above Keeper level. Never thanked by anyone (except Dr Jackie) above Keeper level, for the Enrichment work we did, 20-30 hours a week and using our own money. Didn't need thank yous, but for all the joy we brought to the Keepers, Visitors, and especially the Cats, having that acknowledged would have been nice. Even the Director never thanked me for my online efforts, my blog, outreach responding to negative yelp reviews. The Staff doesn't do any kind of outreach to dispel negativity and their own Enrichment Committee could not produce (and still haven't, with the exception of events) what we were doing for the Cats weekly. In addition to our comments and suggestions. I have been told they don't like people with opinions, so there you have it and treating us bad wasn't enough. This is their way to finally knock us down.
ReplyDeletedoes the enrichment committee ever do anything? as long as i've been going it's the keepers who have created the enrichments - usually with their own money and on their own time. the zoo is so short-staffed that they no longer have time/energy to create them during their regular working hours!
ReplyDelete@anonymous- Thank you again for the comment. As far as I know the Enrichment Committee does not do much. I won't say anything as I have been out of touch now a month. The Enrichment Committee (Staff) was formed I'd say last summer and allegedly produced one thing, and that was for the Teddy Bear Festival. The EC asked Docents to sign up for the EC and then only requested they make items for that one day. In fact, so little was made that two Keepers called me two days before and put in an "ER order" for Enrichment items. Lee and I both had already worked 20+ hours that week on Big Cat "toys" but of course couldn't let our Bear friends down and made two "toys" for each Bear as well, as well some window decals for the the Grizzly's. The Keepers were grateful as always but do you think the Zoo Management thanked us for helping? Of course not. ... In October the Management Team created an official protocol for making Enrichments, that basically was a thanks but no thanks to us, as it stated, we had "inspired this new program" and would not allow for "outside donated items." We were the only ones making items at home, so the need for time to be spent figuring out how to "fire us" was a waste. A protocol is great and was much needed, but as a guideline for the future. What we were doing was proven a great thing and approved by the Vet. No reason it couldn't be used as a supplement as I suggested because us doing for the Big Cats was just a small portion of what could be used Zoo-wide. Veto'd as the Curator said "They (the Big Cats) don't need that option." As well, the Curator also declined to take the Keeper who has been caring for these Animals for over 15 years, experience and feelings about this into consideration. Sorry for the digress and wordiness, but this was a big blow to us as we were doing a great thing to Enrich these Animals lives in captivity. Anyway, the new "program" created items for the Halloween and Christmas events. Providing the Lions with Boxes that had huge staples in them! FAIL! ... The Keepers do still create Enrichment, but yes I do think time is an issue as many are on several strings (species) a shift.
ReplyDelete@leo811 Just reading the posts here, it's shameful how remiss the San Francisco Zoo has been in engendering an atmosphere of commitment to engage and support it's patrons in helping to secure the goals and objectives set out in their mission statement ! And that's not even mentioning the deleterious affect their bad judgment regarding their patrons has created for the animals themselves. I applaud you and your friend for standing so strong, especially in the face of so much being thrown at you both :)
ReplyDelete@Robbin - Thank you for your comment and support. I know many of the Docents and most are not in favor of the way things are run, but they love doing it, so they put up with the mismanagement. Likewise I'm sure paid employees feel the same way. Yes, it doesn't create a great working atmosphere. No, they apparently do not care. ... I was doing a great thing for the Animals when I was making Enrichment toys, so while I questioned things to the Keeper Staff and communicated things to the Director, I didn't push in the way I am now. I felt that I couldn't right every wrong in the place and bring a good thing to the Cats in giving them a "play day" every week, I was doing something. ... Their Mission Statement reads: The San Francisco Zoo connects people with wildlife, inspires caring for nature and advances conservation action. You are very right that they go against their own Mission. They connect people with Wildlife by letting them harass the Animals with no repercussion (except if you are the one reporting the violation, you get your Membership revoked), and their own Curator cares so much about nature that she took away a Keeper valued Enrichment. As for conservation, I am not much involved in the knowledge of those efforts, but I read about them and it seems they care more for Conservation outside the Zoo than within it.
ReplyDelete