San Francisco Zoo
Date opened	1929
Location	San Francisco, California  United States
Land area	0.51 k² (125 acres; 51 ha)
Coordinates	37°43′59″N, 122°30′11″WCoordinates: 37°43′59″N, 122°30′11″W
Number of animals	>930 [1]
Number of species	~250 [1]
Memberships	AZA
Major exhibits	African Savanna, Gorilla Preserve, Grizzly Gulch, Lemur Forest
Website

The San Francisco Zoo, housing more than 250 animal species is located in the southwestern corner of San Francisco, California nestled between Lake Merced and the Pacific Ocean along the Great Highway. The zoo's main entrance, once located on the north side across the street from the defunct Doggie Diner, and one block south of the Muni Metro L Taraval line, is now to the west on the ocean side of the zoo off of the Great Highway.

History

Beginnings

Originally named the Fleishhacker Zoo after its founder, banker and San Francisco Parks Commission president Herbert Fleishhacker, planning for construction began in 1929 on the site adjacent to what was once the largest swimming pool in the United States, the Fleishhacker Pool.^[1] The area was also already home to a children’s playground, an original Michael Dentzel carousel, and the Mother’s Building, a haven for women and their children. Most of the exhibits were populated with animals transferred from Golden Gate Park, including two zebras, a cape buffalo, five rhesus monkeys, two spider monkeys, and three elephants (Virginia, Marjory, and Babe).

Growth

Male and female lions

The first exhibits built in the 1930s cost US$3.5 million, which included Monkey Island, Lion House, Elephant House, a sea lion pool, an aviary and bear grottos. These spacious, moated enclosures were among the first bar-less exhibits in the country.

Over the next 40 years, the Zoological Society became a powerful fundraising source for the San Francisco Zoo, just as Fleishhacker had hoped when he envisioned: "…a Zoological Society similar to those established in other large cities. The Zoological Society will aid the Parks Commission in the acquisition of rare animals and in the operation of the zoo."^{citation needed} True to its charter, the Society immediately exerted its influence on the zoo, obtaining more than 1,300 annual memberships in its first 10 years (nearly 25,000 today). It also funded projects like the renovation of the Children’s Zoo in 1964, development of the African Scene in 1967, the purchase of medical equipment for the new zoo Hospital in 1975, and the establishment of the Avian Conservation Center in 1978.

Present day

Hippopotamus in San Francisco Zoo

In November 2004, Tinkerbelle, San Francisco Zoo's last Asian elephant, was moved to a sanctuary (PAWS-Performing Animal Welfare Society) in the Sierra. Lulu, an African elephant, joined her there in March 2005, so no elephants are on display at the zoo. The moves followed the highly publicized deaths of 38-year-old Calle in March 2004 and 43-year-old Maybelle in April 2004.^[2]

The San Francisco Zoo is the largest and oldest zoo in northern California.

In early 2006, the SF Zoo announced its offer to name a soon-to-hatch American bald eagle after comedian Stephen Colbert.^[3] The publicity and goodwill garnered from coverage of the event on the Colbert Report was a windfall for the zoo and the city of San Francisco. Stephen Jr. was born on April 17, 2006.

Safety

Tiger attacks

Main article: San Francisco Zoo tiger attacks

A tiger jumps in her exhibit in San Francisco Zoo

Tatiana, a Siberian Tiger that attacked 3 people in total and killed one.

On December 22, 2006, the 242-pound Siberian tiger Tatiana attacked zookeeper Lori Komejan, causing the keeper to be hospitalized for several weeks with lacerated limbs and shock. The Lion House was closed for ten months as a result. California's Division of Occupation Safety and Health found the zoo liable for the keeper's injuries, fined the zoo, and ordered safety improvements.^[4][5][6]

On December 25, 2007, the same tiger escaped from her grotto and attacked three zoo visitors. Carlos Sousa, 17, of San Jose, California was killed at the scene. The tiger was shot and killed by police as she was attacking another victim, who survived. Three other tigers who shared Tatiana's grotto did not escape.^[7][8] Tatiana arrived at the San Francisco Zoo from the Denver Zoo in 2005, in hopes that she would mate.^[9] The attack is the first visitor fatality due to animal escape at a member zoo in the history of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, according to the association.^[10]

Escape attempts

A polar bear and snow leopard came close to escaping their enclosures in the weeks after the Christmas Day tiger attack. Zookeepers have expressed concern regarding the safety of the zoo. However, zoo officials stated that the animals were acting normally and that neither of them posed a threat to zookeepers or the public.^[11] The snow leopard, who has not been on public display for months, chewed a hole in the netting in its main holding pen, however the leopard was double caged and keepers responded before any further threat was posed.

Projects

Play fight

The San Francisco Zoo participates in Species Survival Plans, conservation programs sponsored by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The program began in 1981 for selected species in North American zoos and aquarium where the breeding of a species done to maintain healthy, self-sustaining, genetically diverse and demographically stable populations.^[12] The zoo participates in more than 30 SSP programs, working to conserve species ranging from Madagascan radiated tortoises and reticulated giraffes to black rhinos and gorillas. Also, four members of the zoo's animal care staff serve as coordinators for national population management plans, acting as genetic advisors in the reproduction and conservation of species including marbled teal (an endangered eastern European duck), caracal (an African wild cat), Eurasian eagle owl (the world's largest owl species), northern tree shrew, and the native San Francisco garter snake (a critically endangered species).

Exhibit renovations

This article or section needs to be updated. Parts of this article or section (those related to * Big Cat Exhibit Renovations (construction to be completed by January 2008)) are no longer up to date. All other information should be current. Please update the article to reflect recent events / newly available information, and remove this template when finished.

See also

Wikinews has related news:

San Francisco, California

• San Francisco Municipal Railway

References

External links

• San Francisco Zoo Official website
• San Francisco Zoo Podcasts
• San Francisco Zoo Twitter
• American Zoo and Aquarium Association
• Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) Elephant Sanctuary
• Citizens Lobbying for Animals in Zoos, San Francisco
• SFZOOO.ORG - a parody site launched by Citizens Lobbying for Animals in Zoos on April 1st 2008