San Francisco Zoo Management Lets Visitors Abuse Animals

San Francisco Zoo Management Lets Visitors Abuse Animals
30-05-2011

I have posted much here in the past, with positive endearing passion about the Zoo I have been going to my whole life.

I haven't posted in some time and since then I have had an injustice to myself and a friend done by the Management of the Zoo.

Regardless of that situation, I have written in one of my on going blogs about the Zoo, the details of something that I witnessed there yesterday.
Please read this link and I encourage you to post comments if you are horrified as well.

San Francisco Zoo FAILS: NEWS for today - Zoo Management Lets Visitors Abuse the Animals!

Thank you
leo811 (kim)

30-05-2011

It seems to me that you could have done something to prevent this situation escalating: pointed out the signs, said 'oi, they're old chimps, be nice' or 'watch out, he'll chuck things at you if you don't stop that'.

30-05-2011

It seems you may have missed the part of my post that stated that my friend and I had our Memberships revoked for reporting misbehavior. I used to confront Visitors a handful of times each visit. Now I'm in no position to do that.

Its very curious that in all that I wrote, you blame me for the situation. You must work at the San Francisco Zoo? If not you certainly qualify.

Cheers
Kim

30-05-2011

I don't see why you need memberships to confront visitors in a non-aggressive manner. A simple comment, as suggested by Rowan, could have diffused the whole situation.

And I don't see Rowan's comment as blaming you for the situation, he's simply making a suggestion that you might want to try next time this scenario arises. It's what most of us would have done in similar circumstances.



Hix

30-05-2011

OK, that makes your actions a bit more understandable. However it does still read like you were enjoying the situation unfolding up to a point, even though Cobby was getting upset. Having said that, honestly I'm sure there's a few of us would have to admit to rather wanting to see a bully like that get something back. I still think the right thing to do was try and have a word with him, and point out that he was being unkind, berfore it got to the cup chucking stage. If he had ignored what you said then you'd have been justified in enjoying anything Cobby dished out to him. Him chucking the cup back is not acceptable, but he clearly didn't realise what was acceptable, and you didn't do anything to educate him.

30-05-2011

I have to say I'm not 'horrified' by this- far from it as such behaviour/interactions between Chimpanzees(and other primates) and the more moronic sections of the public in Zoos have been going on since time immemorial. Read Belle Benchley's excellent book 'My Friends the Apes' for accounts of the behaviour of US servicemen killing time at the San Diego Zoo and teasing the chimpanzee resident pair in the 1930's era, and also how the Chimpanzees cleverly retaliated. What you describe here is just another example of Visitors 'winding up' the chimpanzees, it happens in zoos everywhere, and on a very regular basis, so much so it can almost form part of the Chimps' daily routine.

The fact the staff hardly bothered to react or caution the human offenders in this incident means it probably happens very commonly at this Zoo too, perhaps an almost daily event and that they(like me) do not view it as serious. Even throwing a cup back is hardly 'abuse' -the chimpanzees choose to react the way they do, they could move away, turn their backs, or go indoors but they don't, they are simply stimulated to react with a display of perfectly natural hostile behaviour as if to a group of rival chimpanzees arriving on the border of their territory, a component of their natural life which is missing in captivity. So you could actually look at it as a plus for them really as far as their behavioural repertoire is concerned. Any sign of diarhoea, or fear grimacing on the Chimpanzees part?-I doubt it as that would indicate real stress. What they are demonstrating is normal confident hostile behaviour to would-be intruders to 'their' territory. I wonder how many times a week this happens when you aren't there to witness it. Routinely, I should think. And from the chimps' point of view, seeing the people finally leave the area after their excited displays reinforces that they have, yet again, won the dispute with the rival 'clan' and driven them away.

I also think you are taking an unrealistically sentimental approach to this issue and confusing a commonplace incident of 'teasing' with real animal 'abuse'- starving animals, keeping them in unsuitable surroundings or small cages, physical mistreatment. I'm sorry but I don't see this as belonging in that league at all. It shows the visitors up as stupid morons, but that's about all. Comparing it with terrorising elderly/senior citizens(human) is also erroneous as these are Chimpanzees, not people- however closely related we may be. The main human perpetrator can't be really be seen as an all powerful aggressor either- if you consider the adult male Chimpanzee, however old he might be, is still several times more powerful and has the potential to seriously disfigure, and quite possibly kill him if given the chance.

From the inflammatory tone of your headline to this thread and your stated membership issues and other unstated complications between you and the Zoo management, combined with the invitation for others to join in the critisism, I'm thinking you now have a personal grudge against the Zoo-but no Zoo would seriously allow visitors to genuinely 'abuse' its animals,or cause them serious harm, its not in their interests to do so.

31-05-2011

@hix @rowan - Since I know the dynamics at this Zoo, I know that approaching a Visitor and saying anything about the situation would have had repercussions put onto myself. Rowan, it all happened very fast, Cobby was ignoring (or internalizing) the guy up to a certain point, then he grabbed the goblet and threw it. Yes, I was glad he did so, but when that wasn't enough and the drama continued from both sides is what made me uncomfortable and horrified. ... @ pertinax - You obviously have watched Chimpanzee's and know their behavior, so I will not counter that. Whether or not its natural behavior/stimulation, yadda, that does not give any Visitor the right to agitate an animal to the point of. I surely hope you are not an animal care professional. It doesn't matter what the severity of the action is, abuse comes in different forms and I maintain this was such. Referring to a book from decades ago is irrelevant. This is these animals homes, they are not there for entertainment, they are there to observe. Yes, humans are morons, that is why it is a Zoo Staff responsibility to deter and reprimand as much as possible. There is far more the San Francisco Zoo can do to make morons think twice and they most certainly can, throw out the offenders. ... This kind of crap has been going on there for years with no tweaking to how its handled. Yes, I am publicly vocal about it since the Management has treated me badly. No, that doesn't mean I'm using one thing to gain anything for the other. They are completely separate situations. Yes, I do have a hindsight post as to the curiosity of the "handling" of what happened to me and what happened to these offenders. No, its not for my gain, its to illustrate how things are done there. ... I have to say I'm kinda surprised that more people aren't horrified, I guess this explains behavior of the masses.