Hats to support the cause!

After watching the Royal Wedding I became fascinated with Fascinators (those little wacky hats)! I thought it would be fun to make one. My friend Lee thought so too, so I suggested we make them in honor of the Snow Leopards Birthdays which were in April and May. It was fun and we wore them on the female Ming's bday last month.

I decided to make one in honor of this cause and wear it every visit til Wishy gets some grass. Its covered in dry Dill, and adorned with a photo of Wishbone (backing is Black flocking), leaning on a log, with his (former) Enrichment Toys around him! I love it! The Dill idea really rocked as grass! Lee also made a great one, with a clay sculpture of Wishbone and a Beehive! It has little Bee's fluttering about the Hive and Flowers. Finished with a big fancy Tulle Bow! It looked great! We looked great! Alot of people stopped us to ask about our "hats", as well passers-by would shout out "Great Hats"!

No matter what, given an event, we try to celebrate our Zoo Friends and show up festive! And for this cause, festive and raising awareness was a winning combination!

Photos: Me wearing my Fascinator in front of Wishbone's Grotto. Wishy in the background eating an apple while sitting next to his piece of sod. Lee's Fascinator up-close :)

I took a Video clip of Wishbone wishing for more grass and getting a snack. We love precious Wishy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fr2khpBdVZ8

AND if you haven't signed the petition yet, please join the over 650 who have and do so today! Remember your name can be withheld! http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/project-get-wishbone-grass-andean-bear-lives-on-concrete/

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

UNTIL , has inched its way in. Literally!

wish box with a couple inches of sod?

So, a friend of mine sent me this photo, taken Monday (6.6.11). This wooden box has been in Wishbone's Grotto for at least a year and has some wood chips and play items in it. The Keeper's often put some of his food and Acacia browse (shown) in it. He sits both in and out and snacks.

If you take a look at the upper left hand corner of the photo, there is curiously what looks like a few inches of sod thrown in. I'm not quite sure what to make of this. I have to admit my first reaction is to laugh as my mind doesn't put it past the Zoo to think this can be considered "Getting Wishbone Grass." I surely hope this is some kind of sampling, that was left over from a test they have done in preparation for landscaping some kind of grassy play are for him. Because the only thing that could play on this amount of grass is his big toe!

Project Get Wishbone Grass is meant to get the Zoo to bring a decent sized grass area to his existing concrete Grotto. It should at least cover 1/4-1/3 of the ground area. In my opinion the ideal place for it would be the opposite corner to his nest area. Either how it is constructed in the Grizzly Grotto, or even a slightly raised area, with a mesh bottom for drainage purposes. A few inches of sod thrown in his box is not acceptable, as a solve to this issue.

A BIG Thank You to all who have signed the Petition. If you haven't, please visit the site and sign! It only takes a few minutes, to help bring awareness to an issue that could bring Wishbone a lifetime of comfort!

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/project-get-wishbone-grass-andean-bear-lives-on-concrete/

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

The final post on this situation, until...

I wanted to make a post to conclude this series, since the way the blogs are set-up, they post the last first.

Please note to get all the details of this plight, please at least start by reading the second post, Project Get Wishbone Grass, which details what the situation is.

I have made a petition for this situation, as a friend pointed out, if I'm goign to call it a "Project" it needs goal backing. Please help in this goal by signing the petition. Its not for me, its for Wishbone! ... Note that the Petition site asks for an address, but you can make one up. I don't expect anyone to use their physical address online.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/project-get-wishbone-grass-andean-bear-lives-on-concrete/

Thank you, and let's hope the San Francisco Zoo Management hears the plea of not only our voices, but of Wishbone's by proxy.

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

Past Efforts Fade

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!

Andean Bear Grotto - Letter to VIPs

Andean Bear Grotto

Grizzly Bear Grotto

Lion Grotto past

Lion Grotto present

This is the letter sent to San Francisco Zoological Society Chairman of the Board Nick Podell, San Francisco Zoological Society Board Member David Staton, San Francisco Park and Recreation Committee Member Larry Martin, and San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee. This information was also sent via email to San Francisco Animal Control and Welfare Chair Sally Stephens.

I have long had a problem with the Bear Grottos but over the years there has been some major improvements that for the most part I can be satisfied with, even though I think there can be some work done on the two cement Polar Grottos, much like I'm about to describe for the Andean Bear.

Wishbone the Andean Bear is the only Animal living at the Zoo who is exclusively on cement. This is disrespectful, cruel and abuse.

I completely understand there is a funds issue regarding renovations, and would not support a complete overhaul that would displace any of our senior Residents. That said, there is no reason why landscaping modifications can not be made.

I recently saw photos of the new Master Plan. I have great issue with money being spent to start new projects, as well take great offense to adding four children's play areas when there are existing Animal homes that need attention. Note that I have no problem spending money to renovate/construct areas for Animals who need rescuing to avoid euthanasia, like the upcoming Seals. I do have a problem starting Phase Two of the Tropical Building, which would only move Animals who already have decent homes in existing exhibits and I do have a problem with moving forward with the North American project, when the Andean Bear is still on cement.

I have included photos of landscaping type options that would bring soil and grass into his home. The photos are of modifications that were made to the Grizzly Grotto. This may have been in place prior to them arriving, but the bottom line is the Grizzly's have vast grass areas, while the Polar's share an area, and the Andean Bear has none.

This needs to change before anything new is built. This could be done for little money and obviously that money is available. The Zoo takes too long to put things into motion, unless it is of dire need. This is. I read a comment by former VP Bob Jenkins, in part "This is what they know and are used to." Appalling coming from someone who was at such a high level within the Zoo. I take this to mean, they are just letting things stay status quo until the Animal dies. Well, Annie, the female Andean Bear did just that. She died living a life only feeling cement beneath her feet.

The photos show examples of the Grizzly Grotto and of the Andean Bear Grotto in comparison and as a blueprint. Also an old photo of how the Cat Grotto's used to look before landscaping was done and a photo of that same Grotto today. It can be done. It should be done. (end)

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!

Andean Bear Grotto - Letter to Zoo Director

Happy Bears playing on grass!

This is an excerpt from an email I sent to Director Tanya Peterson dated October 15, 2009, in regards to the Andean Bears living on concrete.

(start) ... For sometime, I have thought that Wishbone and Annie would love to have some grassy area. See a picture from when they had access to the field. They look happy and energized by the option, just as it has done for Ulu. I know that moving all the bears around so they have access is probably a chore, but there is a way to bring this to their enclosure. I have thought that adding huge rocks around the raised area to the left and filling it would be the obvious quick fix. I altered my idea when I saw two additions to other enclosures. First the circular platform of grass contained by logs that is in the Big Cat Grotto that housed the cubs OR more recent the faux rock border that has been built in Pike and Andy's home. Something like that would be great. Fill it (and the Polar's) with sand and grass and I think that would bring alot to their lives. I think it would be more beneficial to them than that huge log (ed. note: the huge useless stump standing upright to the left of the enclosure, not the log play area to the right that he likes).

I know it seems I'm on a grass crusade for everyone, but honestly it just seems more natural than mostly concrete and dirt surfaces and it seems like a relatively inexpensive perk! ... (end)

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!

Project Get Wishbone Grass!

Wishbone the Andean Bear (I believe) is the only Animal living at the Zoo who is exclusively on concrete. This is cruel.

I approached this concern, during an open ended correspondence I had with the San Francisco Zoo Director Tanya Peterson. When at the time both Andean Bears (a female was still living) and the Polar Bears (two, Pike and Andy, who has since passed) were living on concrete flooring. That was a year and a half ago and the situation for the male Andean Bear has not changed. There was a slight change for Pike which I will post on later, as her situation is a bit different.

On Thursday March 10, 2011, I sent out packets of information to four San Francisco Zoo VIPs. Those VIPs were, Nick Podell, Chairman of the Board, San Francisco Zoological Society, David Stanton, Board Member, San Francisco Zoological Society, Larry Martin, San Francisco Park and Recreation Commissioner, and San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee.

I had been preparing information on two separate issues I wanted to bring to their attention, prior to my current Membership revoking issue. One of the issues concerned the Andean Bear Grotto cruelness.

The situation in detail is outlined in both letters I sent out. These letters are in two following blog posts. Keeping in a time line, the first is to the Director and the second is to the VIPs. Along with the letters are photos that accompanied. There was no response from Director Peterson when I reached out in 2009 and there has been no reply from any of the VIPs contacted, regarding any of the issues I put forth, my Membership Revoking, Animal Enrichments, or the Andean Bear Grotto cruelness. This information was also recently sent with no responce to Sally Stephens, Chair Commission of Animal Welfare and Control City of San Francisco. Sally Stephens holds a seat at the monthly Joint Zoo Committee Meeting.

It is not my intent for Wishbone to be be removed from the home he has lived in for most of his life, it is my intent to bring attention to his living situation and call for changes to be made in the simplest of form, bringing a small grass surface into his home. This is not an impossible task, nor is it costly. The above ground option that I suggested in the letter to Director Peterson is doable and should be done. I know for a fact that a Keeper tried with Management resistance to get the Andean Bears access to the Grizzly Gulch Meadow. That didn't happen in Wishbone's companion's lifetime. Let's make sure it happens in Wishbone's!

Endear yourself to precious Wishy, in this recent photo series. He is a happy boy, and makes his own fun. I'm sure he would be happier and have alot more fun on a softer surface like grass. Love you Wishy!

http://gooberssfzoofriends.shutterfly.com/6549

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!