About two months ago I sent the letter that appears below to two of the San Francisco Zoo (and City) Donors.
The Hearst Foundations
90 New Montgomery Street
Suite 1212
San Francisco, California 94105
Dianne and Tad Taube c/o
Taube Philanthropies
1050 Ralston Avenue
Belmont, CA 94002
USA
I picked these two for specific reasons.
The Hearst Foundation donated funds so that the Zoo could renovate a Grotto and build an extending exhibit (Grizzly Gulch) for the two Bears that were rescued from being euthanized. I thought they maybe sensitive to other Bear needs.
The Taubes, who are in person visable at many Zoo functions, Dianne Taube is a Zoological Society Board Member and because of a quote I read in an article. Tad Taube in regard to a recent donation, "Because every night Dianne wakes me up in the middle of the night and asks, ‘What can we do to help the Zoo’,” explained Taube. “So I decided for a million dollars, I can finally get some sleep.” For people who think this way, I thought they might be sensitive to Wishbone's need for a more natural surface.
It is curious to me that there has been no response to this correspondence.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Letter sent:
Hello ...
I am writing to you as a visitor and friend of the Animals at the San Francisco Zoo. This is my lifelong Zoo and I am very passionate about the Animals who call it home. I visit twice a week and over the years have been endeared to them greatly.
I read and research everything online regarding the Zoo and have turned up your name as a donor. I would like to bring your attention to a situation there that the Zoo will never have any fundraiser for, which equals an excuse of "There is no money."
The Andean Bear, Wishbone, lives exclusively on concrete. This is unacceptable. I have a blog detailing this travesty, which I would love for you to view. By doing so, you will get just how necessary it is, to bring a small patch of grass (ideally approximately a quarter of his flooring) to his home.
www.projectgetwishbonegrass.blogspot.com/2011/05/project-get-wishbone-grass.html
Almost two years ago I questioned this and made suggestions to the Zoo Director Tanya Peterson and got no response. As well I called attention to this via letters and photos to other VIPs including, Zoological Board Members, Nick Podell and David Stanton, as well Park and Recreation Commissioner Larry Martin. No one seems to care that this poor Bear has lived so many years with no soft surface under him. It is unnatural and cruel. Regardless of the fact that Andean Bears are from the forests, concrete is no surface for any living creature to be on exclusively.
Please read my blog, get the details and what I am suggesting, as it is not a huge under-taking to bring grass to his home. He is the only Animal living at the Zoo who doesn't have a soft surface to lay on and play on. At 24 years old he shouldn't have to live out his life on a hard surface.
As someone who has given to the Zoo, you must have a compassion for animals, please help Wishbone. I ask you as his voice, since Zoo Management will only continue to fundraise for new exhibits, while making small upgrades to existing ones go ignored. This is an issue that should have immediate priority.
Thank you,
Kim ...
See more photos of this precious Bear friend here: www.gooberssfzoofriends.shutterfly.com/
Sign the Petition here:
www.thepetitionsite.com/2/project-get-wishbone-grass-andean-bear-lives-on-concrete/
Watch the videos
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD7hSnSIaqg
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fr2khpBdVZ8
The Hearst Foundations
90 New Montgomery Street
Suite 1212
San Francisco, California 94105
Dianne and Tad Taube c/o
Taube Philanthropies
1050 Ralston Avenue
Belmont, CA 94002
USA
I picked these two for specific reasons.
The Hearst Foundation donated funds so that the Zoo could renovate a Grotto and build an extending exhibit (Grizzly Gulch) for the two Bears that were rescued from being euthanized. I thought they maybe sensitive to other Bear needs.
The Taubes, who are in person visable at many Zoo functions, Dianne Taube is a Zoological Society Board Member and because of a quote I read in an article. Tad Taube in regard to a recent donation, "Because every night Dianne wakes me up in the middle of the night and asks, ‘What can we do to help the Zoo’,” explained Taube. “So I decided for a million dollars, I can finally get some sleep.” For people who think this way, I thought they might be sensitive to Wishbone's need for a more natural surface.
It is curious to me that there has been no response to this correspondence.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Letter sent:
Hello ...
I am writing to you as a visitor and friend of the Animals at the San Francisco Zoo. This is my lifelong Zoo and I am very passionate about the Animals who call it home. I visit twice a week and over the years have been endeared to them greatly.
I read and research everything online regarding the Zoo and have turned up your name as a donor. I would like to bring your attention to a situation there that the Zoo will never have any fundraiser for, which equals an excuse of "There is no money."
The Andean Bear, Wishbone, lives exclusively on concrete. This is unacceptable. I have a blog detailing this travesty, which I would love for you to view. By doing so, you will get just how necessary it is, to bring a small patch of grass (ideally approximately a quarter of his flooring) to his home.
www.projectgetwishbonegrass.blogspot.com/2011/05/project-get-wishbone-grass.html
Almost two years ago I questioned this and made suggestions to the Zoo Director Tanya Peterson and got no response. As well I called attention to this via letters and photos to other VIPs including, Zoological Board Members, Nick Podell and David Stanton, as well Park and Recreation Commissioner Larry Martin. No one seems to care that this poor Bear has lived so many years with no soft surface under him. It is unnatural and cruel. Regardless of the fact that Andean Bears are from the forests, concrete is no surface for any living creature to be on exclusively.
Please read my blog, get the details and what I am suggesting, as it is not a huge under-taking to bring grass to his home. He is the only Animal living at the Zoo who doesn't have a soft surface to lay on and play on. At 24 years old he shouldn't have to live out his life on a hard surface.
As someone who has given to the Zoo, you must have a compassion for animals, please help Wishbone. I ask you as his voice, since Zoo Management will only continue to fundraise for new exhibits, while making small upgrades to existing ones go ignored. This is an issue that should have immediate priority.
Thank you,
Kim ...
See more photos of this precious Bear friend here: www.gooberssfzoofriends.shutterfly.com/
Sign the Petition here:
www.thepetitionsite.com/2/project-get-wishbone-grass-andean-bear-lives-on-concrete/
Watch the videos
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD7hSnSIaqg
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fr2khpBdVZ8
UPDATE 12.8.11
Please view the video on the last post projectgetwishbonegrass.blogspot.com
If you support this crusade, please email San Francisco Zoo Director Tanya Peterson - tanyap@sfzoo.org
Thank you!
Wishbone is a very precious little guy. I visit him every week. I urge people to keep signing the petition and urging the zoo to give him a little patch of grass to spend his days enjoying. Right now he is on hard, cold concrete and the only spot he is off concrete is in the back area of the grotto in a cold and dark spot laying on scratchy straw. Please zoo....put in a patch of grass for him to enjoy. Wishbone has given visitors so much joy over the years.
ReplyDelete@andiecattt- Thank you for your comment. It seems like an obvious updating need, but unfortunately the obvious is not as such to the San Francisco Zoo Management. These Grotto's have been this way for 80+ years,and receive constant negative feedback. One would think that updating them in small ways would be best for the Animals who call them home and to lessen negative public opinion. BUT, it took many years for a Keeper to even get the one Grotto's between the two Polar Bear's fitted for grass. AND my Intel has said that was done not by the Zoo but by the Keepers, with the Zoo's ok. that said the Zoo continues to push forward with their plan to create new areas, while old ones that Animals are currently living in are outdated.
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