I want to post two snips of articles that pertain to this issue. These articles noted that the Meadow Grotto that is between the two Polar Bears Ulu and Pike was intended to be used by all the Andean Bears and Polar Bears on rotation. That would be great if that was still in practice. Why did these efforts fade? No public attention? Laziness? OR as stated in a published comment by former (!) VP Bob Jenkins, "Its what they know and are used to" !!! Unbelievable!
The photo I took of Annie and Wishbone is from 2007, I don't know how often they were rotated into the Meadow after it was made in 2002, but I have not seen them in in there since I have been visiting on a regular basis, over three years now. As well, I rarely see Pike getting to use the Meadow. The last time was for the Christmas Snow Day Media event. Otherwise, she too lives on concrete. Her concrete home is the Grotto's next to the Meadow, so her situation is an easy fix, just open the gate. Although I think both Polar Bear Grotto's that are exclusively concrete, could also use a grass patch on their concrete floors, for when they are alternating the use of the Meadow, there is a Meadow between them, so their situation isn't as dire as the Andean Bear, who is two Grotto's away from the Meadow and has not seen it in years. His experience on Grass is akin to someone who lives in the desert taking a once in a lifetime vacation to the beach.
Ideally, Wishbone, Ulu and Pike would rotate the Meadow AND each have a small patch of grass in their concrete grotto's.
Snip taken from the full article (4.17.02) that appears here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2002/04/17/BA175482.DTL
"Uulu, 21, had lived all her life at the zoo on concrete in one of the zoo's Depression-era bear grottoes. Last year, after the death of a Kodiak bear, the zoo decided to replace the concrete in the Kodiak grotto with thick grass and clover and to let Uulu share it with two other polar bears and the zoo's two spectacled bears."
Snip taken from the full article (3.9.10) that appears here: http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/zoo-tries-avoid-bear-blues
"After touring the grottoes with a carnivore keeper, Stephens and Spinelli recommended that the zoo rotate the bears throughout the exhibits, ..."
The article also makes question of relocating and cost of new enclosures. Neither are needed. I am not an advocate for relocating any of these Animals. They are seniors and have lived here most of their lives. Moving them would be detrimental to their mental and physical health, even within the Zoo itself. There is no need to build new enclosures at this time, when all that is needed is landscaping added to the existing enclosures.
I have to add in light of this, in my opinion its curious and negligent on the part of Sally Stephens who I have made aware of this issue to not bring this up at the Joint Zoo Committee Meeting, which she holds a seat and attends every month. I would have hoped she would be the one to be proactive about this situation. As well in my opinion, she should have been regularly asking for a status update on the Pike's Meadow rotation.
I thought it was the responsibility of Board Members and Committee Members to guide Zoo Management by questioning what they are doing. If not, what is their purpose?
WISHBONE NEEDS GRASS! MAKE IT HAPPEN SAN FRANCISCO ZOO!
The photo I took of Annie and Wishbone is from 2007, I don't know how often they were rotated into the Meadow after it was made in 2002, but I have not seen them in in there since I have been visiting on a regular basis, over three years now. As well, I rarely see Pike getting to use the Meadow. The last time was for the Christmas Snow Day Media event. Otherwise, she too lives on concrete. Her concrete home is the Grotto's next to the Meadow, so her situation is an easy fix, just open the gate. Although I think both Polar Bear Grotto's that are exclusively concrete, could also use a grass patch on their concrete floors, for when they are alternating the use of the Meadow, there is a Meadow between them, so their situation isn't as dire as the Andean Bear, who is two Grotto's away from the Meadow and has not seen it in years. His experience on Grass is akin to someone who lives in the desert taking a once in a lifetime vacation to the beach.
Ideally, Wishbone, Ulu and Pike would rotate the Meadow AND each have a small patch of grass in their concrete grotto's.
Snip taken from the full article (4.17.02) that appears here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2002/04/17/BA175482.DTL
"Uulu, 21, had lived all her life at the zoo on concrete in one of the zoo's Depression-era bear grottoes. Last year, after the death of a Kodiak bear, the zoo decided to replace the concrete in the Kodiak grotto with thick grass and clover and to let Uulu share it with two other polar bears and the zoo's two spectacled bears."
Snip taken from the full article (3.9.10) that appears here: http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/zoo-tries-avoid-bear-blues
"After touring the grottoes with a carnivore keeper, Stephens and Spinelli recommended that the zoo rotate the bears throughout the exhibits, ..."
The article also makes question of relocating and cost of new enclosures. Neither are needed. I am not an advocate for relocating any of these Animals. They are seniors and have lived here most of their lives. Moving them would be detrimental to their mental and physical health, even within the Zoo itself. There is no need to build new enclosures at this time, when all that is needed is landscaping added to the existing enclosures.
I have to add in light of this, in my opinion its curious and negligent on the part of Sally Stephens who I have made aware of this issue to not bring this up at the Joint Zoo Committee Meeting, which she holds a seat and attends every month. I would have hoped she would be the one to be proactive about this situation. As well in my opinion, she should have been regularly asking for a status update on the Pike's Meadow rotation.
I thought it was the responsibility of Board Members and Committee Members to guide Zoo Management by questioning what they are doing. If not, what is their purpose?
WISHBONE NEEDS GRASS! MAKE IT HAPPEN SAN FRANCISCO ZOO!
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