"i found a piece of grass in my moat that i can fit all four feets on!"
IF YOU'VE ALREADY READ THIS POST
PLEASE VIEW 10.29.11 UPDATE
PLEASE VIEW 10.29.11 UPDATE
(at the end of main post)
From the October Issue of the San Francisco Zoo Animail:
Calendar For Sale for a Good Cause!
A dedicated group of docents and photographers have lovingly put together a beautiful 2012 calendar featuring some of our favorite Zoo residents. Calendar sales will raise money for our campaign to expand the Americas region of the Zoo, including bringing in wolves. The price is $12 for Zoo Members and $15 for non-Members. Treat yourself and those you care about to this gift that keeps on giving!
A dedicated group of docents and photographers have lovingly put together a beautiful 2012 calendar featuring some of our favorite Zoo residents. Calendar sales will raise money for our campaign to expand the Americas region of the Zoo, including bringing in wolves. The price is $12 for Zoo Members and $15 for non-Members. Treat yourself and those you care about to this gift that keeps on giving!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From May 2009 to January 2011, I had a welcomed and open email correspondence with the Zoo Director Tanya Peterson. During which time I submitted many ideas, suggestions, comments and observations. One idea to both establish endearing Visitors to the Animals as individuals and raise some funds, I suggested a Calendar. Note that I was thanked for all my ideas and suggestions, even though they weren't used at the time. I have slowly seen some come to fruition, like this one.
Don't get me wrong, I am glad to see my ideas being used, at any time, as well that there are any new ideas being put into production. The Animals need funds to help enrich their lives, which is what is stated at the new donate by cell phone signs posted at some exhibits. I hope that is what the money raised is being used for. So, please do take advantage in any monetary way you can help, whether by donating by cell, buying a calendar, or any other way.
The purpose of this post is to show that in my opinion, not all monies being raised are for the right reason. When I say "right" you may think, why is what I think right, right. I can only give my point of view, from where I stand as a Visitor, person who cares about the Animals who live at the Zoo, Animals in general, and someone who can not just stand by and watch when something just doesn't seem right.
If you have followed this blog, you know what the crusade is about. You also know that one of my biggest irks shall we say is the fact that the Zoo has a Master Plan that includes a whole new North American Region. An area that they have fundraised for and continue to with major Donors.
Now, with the proceeds from this Calendar benefiting this new region as well, I am deeply offended not only as a regular Visitor, but for the Animals who live there. The San Francisco Zoo Management and Docents should be ashamed at the way funds they raise are used. Making new exhibits, while ones that are over 80 years old, house Animals that have lived there their whole lives, some like Wishbone over 20 years, is a disgrace. Its disrespectful, and soulless.
As I've stated I completely understand not having funds to renovate, but to not even think to update is disgusting. I wouldn't support a renovation, as it would mean displacing these Animals, but updating needs to be a part of the Master Plan, not building new areas that these Animals aren't even a part of. The only new Animals that should be brought into the Zoo are rescues that would otherwise be euthanized.
San Francisco Zoo, help the Animals you already have live the best life they can in captivity.
Wishbone desperately needs grass in his home. He doesn't have access to any grass, or sand, or any soft surface. This is outrageous.
Pike (Polar Bear) could use grass as well, or daily access to the Grizzly Grotto while the Grizzlies are in the Gulch. Currently she is supposedly sharing access to the meadow that is in between her and Ulu's Grotto, but I don't see that happen regularly, and in that I mean several times a day. So, both she and Ulu could use grass added to their Grotto's as well.
Seriously, all the Bear Grotto's should look like the Grizzly Grotto, with grass. These are the oldest looking and most negatively targeted enclosures. Why not add some landscaping to the three existing concrete only Grottos and make them more natural? WHY? Can't hear you SFZOO, please let the public know why?
UPDATE: 10.29.11, I tweeted this post out to the Zoo (@sfzoo) several weeks ago now and still I have heard no rumblings of any plan to add grass to Wishbone's home. BUT I was approached my a Docent I know who proudly told me of the Docents Calendar sale (which had a booth on site during yesterdays Boo at the Zoo event) to raise money for the Wolf exhibit. I said, "We don't have Wolves. Why don't you raise money for Animals we do have to get some upgrades."
From May 2009 to January 2011, I had a welcomed and open email correspondence with the Zoo Director Tanya Peterson. During which time I submitted many ideas, suggestions, comments and observations. One idea to both establish endearing Visitors to the Animals as individuals and raise some funds, I suggested a Calendar. Note that I was thanked for all my ideas and suggestions, even though they weren't used at the time. I have slowly seen some come to fruition, like this one.
Don't get me wrong, I am glad to see my ideas being used, at any time, as well that there are any new ideas being put into production. The Animals need funds to help enrich their lives, which is what is stated at the new donate by cell phone signs posted at some exhibits. I hope that is what the money raised is being used for. So, please do take advantage in any monetary way you can help, whether by donating by cell, buying a calendar, or any other way.
The purpose of this post is to show that in my opinion, not all monies being raised are for the right reason. When I say "right" you may think, why is what I think right, right. I can only give my point of view, from where I stand as a Visitor, person who cares about the Animals who live at the Zoo, Animals in general, and someone who can not just stand by and watch when something just doesn't seem right.
If you have followed this blog, you know what the crusade is about. You also know that one of my biggest irks shall we say is the fact that the Zoo has a Master Plan that includes a whole new North American Region. An area that they have fundraised for and continue to with major Donors.
Now, with the proceeds from this Calendar benefiting this new region as well, I am deeply offended not only as a regular Visitor, but for the Animals who live there. The San Francisco Zoo Management and Docents should be ashamed at the way funds they raise are used. Making new exhibits, while ones that are over 80 years old, house Animals that have lived there their whole lives, some like Wishbone over 20 years, is a disgrace. Its disrespectful, and soulless.
As I've stated I completely understand not having funds to renovate, but to not even think to update is disgusting. I wouldn't support a renovation, as it would mean displacing these Animals, but updating needs to be a part of the Master Plan, not building new areas that these Animals aren't even a part of. The only new Animals that should be brought into the Zoo are rescues that would otherwise be euthanized.
San Francisco Zoo, help the Animals you already have live the best life they can in captivity.
Wishbone desperately needs grass in his home. He doesn't have access to any grass, or sand, or any soft surface. This is outrageous.
Pike (Polar Bear) could use grass as well, or daily access to the Grizzly Grotto while the Grizzlies are in the Gulch. Currently she is supposedly sharing access to the meadow that is in between her and Ulu's Grotto, but I don't see that happen regularly, and in that I mean several times a day. So, both she and Ulu could use grass added to their Grotto's as well.
Seriously, all the Bear Grotto's should look like the Grizzly Grotto, with grass. These are the oldest looking and most negatively targeted enclosures. Why not add some landscaping to the three existing concrete only Grottos and make them more natural? WHY? Can't hear you SFZOO, please let the public know why?
UPDATE: 10.29.11, I tweeted this post out to the Zoo (@sfzoo) several weeks ago now and still I have heard no rumblings of any plan to add grass to Wishbone's home. BUT I was approached my a Docent I know who proudly told me of the Docents Calendar sale (which had a booth on site during yesterdays Boo at the Zoo event) to raise money for the Wolf exhibit. I said, "We don't have Wolves. Why don't you raise money for Animals we do have to get some upgrades."
AGAIN I ask,
WHY San Francisco Zoo, does this Bear continue to live exclusively on concrete?
WHY are you using funds to build exhibits to bring in new Animals when you haven't done justice to upgrading for the ones who already live there?
WHY WHY WHY???
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!
I agree 200% in all that you stated in the blog. The docents little calendar, though they feel will help in The Americas Exhibit, will not. That is for the Big Donors to work on. The docents should be working on smaller projects that will make a big difference. They should take on the task of getting Wishbone a patch of grass. I an always distraught that the zoo disrepects their animals by not upgrading in even the simplest of tasks. A small patch of grass would make Wishbone a very happy bear!!!
ReplyDelete@andiecattt- Thank you for your comment. I don't care who and how it happens, I just want to see this Bear have something natural under his feet in his lifetime. This is getting ridiculous. I have put this out there, as has Keepers before me. We have been Wishbones voice in this. Why does he have to beg?
ReplyDelete