S.F. Zoo sells female giraffe to Six Flags A young female giraffe has left the multi-acre African Savannah exhibit at the San Francisco Zoo, and was sold for $70,000 to the infamous Six Flags amusement park.
Thats odd - Moving animals between Zoos = Normal, Zoos buying animals from Private Breeders = Normal, Zoos Selling Animals to Private Companies = Odd. I have never seen the exhibit at Discovery Kingdom, and I'm not going to criticize something I have never seen, but I don't trust Six Flags with animals.
Six Flags is an AZA accredited institution. Most animal moves are loans (some are VERY long term). In this case the arrangement is certainly different, but the giraffe could have been moved there in any case. SF certainly needs the cash!
Okay, it is now time l belive for SFZ to close. This is setting a very dangerous precedent. Its just that this is unaceptable and if not dealt with will become acceptable very quickly given the economic situation. Also it's only $US70,000 the zoo must be in a really bad situation. What is next?
The AZA doesnt control US zoos and aquariums. Not all species are SSP. And SSP animals are really what the AZA strongly discourages transferring out of AZA facilities. All the rest are fair gaime.
I know that, and I know Six Flags is AZA accredited, I'm just more wary of an amusement parks intentions than a zoos. And yes, San Francisco certainly needs the cash!
I've seen the facilities... I've seen the facility. I was not overly impressed with it in terms of basic size. However, I will also say that my knowledge of giraffes is limited at best, and that includes knowledge of their space requirements. What does bother me about this is Six Flags lost a giraffe last year to smoke inhalation from an electrical fire that got started in the barn. If they were keeping up proper maintenance on the place, that should never have happened. I wonder what assurances they can provide that there will not be a similar incident? Happy travels.
Exactly!! Like has been said, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom IS an AZA-accredited institution! That is MORE than good enough for me! To buy into this "it's infamous" or "I don't trust Six Flags with animals" stuff is to surrender to the animal rights extremists who hate ALL zoos! So 6FDK has amusement park rides! So what! So does Disney's Animal Kingdom and it's generally regarded by many to be one of the Top zoos in the world! The Sea World parks, Busch Gardens, and even some well respected zoos have some form of amusement park rides. Even the respected-by-all Bronx Zoo recently announced they will be replacing their Sky Ride with an "amusement park like ride". We really need to STOP being so quick to agree with the wackos who want to close down what we love -- ALL zoos. By the way, I've been to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and I throughly enjoyed my day there. Saw nothing to complain about. Of course I know they've had some bad luck recently with elephants, which is why the silly IDA is targeting them. If you want to agree with the IDA, feel free, but I certainly don't understand such logic.
i'm a SFzoo member and at the least weekly visitor. i was sad to see them sell rosie, as i have watched her since first week she was outdoors. i thought she seemed too young,but of course i'm basing my feelings on emotion and sentiment, nothing educated. i was told that she would have to have been moved at some point or she would never have been able to breed, as the two males there are her father and brother. as well, we just had a new female calf born three wks ago and one is on the way soon. i talked to a keeper last wk and was told that she's doing well and has easily become a member of the existing group of females there.
@AnyHuis, I must respectfully disagree, at least on a couple of points. I've been to AZA-Accredited facilities which have given me the galloping creeps. Likewise, I've been to non-AZA accredited facilities which are so well-run, with such a healthy collection, I think AZA could learn a lot from them. And all degrees in between. Accreditation of any kind simply means a given facility has met whatever guidelines the agency doing the accrediting has set up. Even AZA has said as much, if indirectly. In short: AZA accreditation, although I believe it's an overall positive thing, is not an absolute guarantee of a well-run park. I know the full history of SFDK. I knew them (heck, grew up with the place) when they were still Marine World, and located in Belmont. I remained a regular at the new location, in Vallejo, right up until SF showed up and turned the place into a travesty of what it once was. I stand by what I've said in times past. They need to decide whether they want to be a theme park or a wildlife park, period. I'm glad to hear Rosie and the other giraffes are doing well, at least. Happy travels.
Sounds like they got a bargain. When I was at Out Of Africa a couple weeks ago, they said they only have two male giraffes because a female giraffe costs $100,000.
As a britsh zoo goer is is really weird to read about animals being sold around accredited zoos. Can anyone tell me if this happens in the UK?
Of course it does-all the time, and over the last year or so one collection in the south of England has almost been an animal dealer.The zoo is now closed...or is it?
