San Francisco Zoo (Boo!)

This weekend, Milan and I brought Olivia for her first trip to the zoo. I think that I am officially over zoos, at least this one. I had been to the SF zoo before when my nephew Connor came to visit last August, I didn't remember it being as bad as it was on this visit. You would think in a city as liberal and progressive as SF they wouldn't have a zoo in such bad shape. The animals just looked to be terminally bored. The polar bear was literally pacing back and forth. Not that he would be any better off in his natural habitat now with the melting of the polar ice caps, but he looked very unhappy. And they had a seal, yes, one seal (no friends for him). The good part about the zoo is the interesting facts posted outside the exhibits. For the seal it read that they can dive up to 475 feet. Well, this seal was confined to a small wading pool that was no more than 3 ft deep. The seal was lying lifeless in the corner of this kiddie pool filled with filthy water. Looking at it and many of the other animals, they appeared to be dead.

Aside from the animals being lethargic and listless the grounds were just dirty. It was sad. Many of the "attractions" had nothing in them but passerby's garbage- soda cups, candy wrappers, empty chip bags, etc. And those were the ones without animals. The one's with, were just as depressing- dirty water and patches of dirt and cracked concrete to lay on, no grass in many of the exhibits. And many of the enclosures were not large enough for the bigger animals to roam around, so literally all they could do was just lay there. And I was shocked by the number of children AND adults taunting the animals. You would think after a kid was killed by a tiger there a few months ago for teasing it, people would learn their lesson. Not these folks! I can't say that they generally looked like the smartest people on the face of the earth though (but I digress).

I want Olivia to grow up loving animals but I think bringing her to the San Francisco Zoo is not the way to do it. I think from now on to educate her about animals, we will read her books, go to pet sanctuaries, or a farm, not an enclosed prison for animals. Shame on you SF Zoo.

On a lighter note, we did get this picture of Olivia and I as kangaroos. I even have a papoose!