By love-89.com The recent report from the San Francisco Animal Control and Welfare Commission has raised serious concerns about the safety conditions at the San Francisco Zoo. Jane Tobin, one of the commissioners responsible for the report, along with Commission Chair Michael Angelo Torres and experts Joe Spinelli and Justin Barker, conducted an on-site inspection and identified various shortcomings.
The report emphasizes that while the zoo’s safety measures meet the minimum requirements set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and have passed licensing evaluations by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, they only achieve a basic level of safety. It highlights that the current conditions are unsafe for both animals and visitors.
Specifically, the report critiques the enclosures, stating they do not meet animal welfare standards and could even be described as “dilapidated,” with a risk of animals escaping. For example, the top of the jaguar enclosure is movable, raising alarms especially after a tiger escaped and attacked a visitor back in 2008, leading the report to suggest negligence on the zoo’s part. Additionally, the living conditions for primates vary significantly; while the habitat for lemurs is commendable, the environment for the leaf monkeys resembles a cage.
Despite the zoo being owned by the city, its day-to-day operations are managed by the nonprofit San Francisco Zoological Society. The report points out that the two parties haven’t renegotiated their agreement since the 1990s, and the annual funding provided to the society is only $4 million, which the city needs to increase.
San Francisco City Councilman Aaron Peskin, who is currently campaigning for mayor, acknowledged to the San Francisco Chronicle that a comprehensive assessment of the zoo is indeed overdue. Councilmember Joel Engardio, whose district borders the zoo, and councilwoman Myrna Melgar also concur that the city needs to reevaluate its policies regarding the zoo and consider allocating more funds for improvements.
In response, Mayor London Breed’s spokesperson Parisa Safarzadeh acknowledged that the commission had raised concerns about the zoo. However, she stated that it complies with the standards set by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. She also noted that Mayor Breed is committed to addressing the zoo’s renovation needs, citing the introduction of giant pandas from China to enhance international attention and possibly increase funding for renovations. Despite multiple attempts, Tanya Peterson, the zoo’s executive director, and Melinda Dunn, the board chair, have not responded to inquiries from the Chronicle.