Their chimpanzees are in a concrete hovel. Their polar bears are in 1930s era grottoes. Their big cats are in a 1930s era decaying box. They have spent 3.2 million dollars on a playground. ANOTHER playground. They have no discernible plan to build actual new animal exhibits to replace the 80 year old decaying zoo. Unbelievable. Yet, there it is, and after watching this zoo steadily decay for the last few decades, I guess one has to believe it.
The "Americas Capital Campaign" is supposed to build new exhibits, no one knows for sure what is being built, but obviously no chimpanzee or big cats are planned. We can only hope that the zoo builds a new polar bear exhibit with the money (funded?). Unfortunately, the zoo's polar bears are old, so it will have to wait until after they die.
The scuttlebutt suggests that a lot of those funds are earmarked for yet another reno of the South Americas building. It might also include that squirrel monkey exhibit they were talking about. Not that the squirrel monkeys are in dire straits. My preferences: 1.) Chimps 1.) Bears 3.) Snow leopards 4.) Primate Discovery Center 5.) The other Big Cats 6.) Gorillas
Apparently nothing is "tame" about this playground, just like nothing makes sense about building it in the first place. Zoo's news - nothing tame at nature-theme play zone - SFGate
I don't know if anyone posted this, but I found some conceptualizations of the Zoo's "Americas Capital Campaign." I see squirrel monkeys, toucans, macaws, piranhas, beavers, owls, turkeys...no polar bears or any other necessary new exhibits. San Francisco Zoo by Eunhae Kang at Coroflot.com
Thanks for the link, Falcosparverius. That moose/beaver complex looks really interesting. I wonder if they will actually build it? Most of those drawings look like they are for the umpteenth remodeling of the tropical house. The designer gave a presentation at the AZA meeting and the complex looks cool. They are planning on having free-flying parrots as shown in the drawings. It could be quite impressive if it works. I'm sometimes critical of the San Francisco Zoo, but they do have areas of excellence. Pioneering healthy parrot exhibitions that give the birds stimulation and showcase them beyond the dreaded "parrot on a stick" could be an important contribution to zoos.
A close look at the site reveals it is not about new projects at the SFZoo but rather a display of the artist's portfolio. Don't run too far with this. It announces nothing of the zoo's plans.
Still it would be nice if they would announce what they are going to do with the funds from the capital campaign. There are obvious exhibits and animal areas that really do not to be renovated or updated big time (as some other posters have already suggested which species should have precedence). Are we any nearer to knowing what the current management is planning for its animal collection and re-building!???
Thanks for the clarification. This designer apparently did work on the actual plans for the tropical house renovation though, as this project has been announced and is being built (or is built?).
The baby gorilla will be going on display tomorrow with her surrogate mother Bawang. http://sfappeal.com/2013/12/you-can-finally-meet-the-sf-zoos-baby-gorilla-this-saturday/ Only On 7: Sneak peek at the San Francisco Zoo's new baby gorilla | abc7news.com
Posted too early. The gorilla has been named Kabibe. Public chooses 'Kabibe' as name for SF Zoo's baby gorilla | www.ktvu.com
Bawang is also in fact her grandmother. She also helped to be a surrogate mother to the other youngster in the group, Hasani.
Upon further searching I foung this website, from an architectural firm, I believe it shows the "master plan" map for the zoo. Can anyone support my claim? Exhibit + Zoological-SF Zoo Master Plan
@Falcosparverius, cannot answer your question. Hope the SF regulars or Californicans can give us more insight in your very valid question. On face value, how does this … current zoo map of SF Zoo correspond to current reality on the ground. Link: http://www.sfzoo.org/plan-zoo-map If I look at that master plan the rhino exhibit has significantly moved … / whereas in the zoo map this is not reflected at all. Quite a few other examples (see Asian area and the extended African precinct … where on the zoo map nothing seems to have been built or is vacant space. I get the distinct feeling something about that zoo map is not quite right??! If someone can clarify all this, that would be most welcome!
I believe that this could be San Francisco's current masterplan. Kifaru Bwana, I'm not quite sure what you are trying to say. I would often expect a zoo's new('ish) masterplan not to look like the current zoo itself. Its also important to note that the San Francisco Zoo has several empty/closed exhibits that are purposely not reflected on the map. A zoo wouldn't want to be advertising these anyway.
This is what I thought when I first saw the site, but now I think it is the previous director's (prior to 2007 tiger incident) master plan. The map plans still show elephants, but the current plans could be just a revised version of this one. We won't know for sure until the Zoo officially reveals anything.
