San Francisco Zoo
| San Francisco Zoo | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | San Francisco Zoo & Garden | |
| place | Sloat Blvd &, Great Hwy, San Francisco, CA 94132, | |
| surface | 99 acres | |
| opening | 1929 | |
| Animal species | over 250 | |
| Individuals | over 2000 | |
| organization | ||
| management | Edward G. Poole | |
| Funding organizations | San Francisco Zoological Society | |
| Member of | American Association of Zoo Keepers, Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Bay Area Sustainable Seafood Alliance, Conservation Strategy Fund, Wildlife Conservation Network | |
| www.sfzoo.org | ||
|
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Coordinates: 37 ° 43 ′ 59 " N , 122 ° 30 ′ 11" W.
The San Francisco Zoo (previously Fleishhacker Zoo ) is a zoo in southwest San Francisco , California . More than 2000 animals of around 250 species are kept here.
History of the zoo
precursor
1866 founded one of the wealthiest citizens of San Francisco, Robert B. Woodward , the amusement park with Menagerie , Woodward's Gardens , in the Mission District . Here, among other things, sea lions , grizzly bears , mourning swans , deer and various birds were shown in an aviary . After a construction form in San Francisco, Woodward's Gardens was closed.
At the beginning of the 20th century, various animals were kept in Golden Gate Park , e.g. B. Emus , beavers , kangaroos , elk , and bison . A grizzly bear that was captured in California and seen in Woodward's Garden was also shown after the amusement park closed in Golden Gate Park. Herbert Fleishhacker had the idea of keeping animals in Golden Gate Park to other species such as big cats , apes and elephants to expand. John McLaren , the director of the Golden Gate Park, spoke out against this proposal because extensive construction work would have been necessary and the park should remain as natural as possible.
Beginnings (1922–1929)
In 1922, Fleishhacker acquired a 30- acre site in southwest San Francisco near the Pacific Ocean . There he had what was then the largest swimming pool in the USA built by 1925; It was an open-air swimming pool, the main attraction of which was a 50 × 300 m swimming pool that was filled with heated sea water (salt water). There were meadows for picnics and recreation on the site and a carousel was also built. The zoo should complement this recreational area. The first animals were brought here from Golden Gate Park. An early inventory list included two zebras , a cape buffalo , five rhesus monkeys and two spider monkeys . Meat chopper also got the first three elephants.
The zoo was opened in 1929 under the name Fleishhacker Zoo . The first director was the animal catcher and hunter George Bistany . Among other things, he had tigers , lions and leopards brought to the zoo. Because of his knowledge of the life of many animals in the wild, his expertise in building enclosures was instrumental. He also provided training for the zoo keepers, who often only had experience in caring for herbivores , and established hygiene standards.
Expansion and renaming (1930–1941)
In the 1930s many enclosures and animal houses were built under the direction of the second director, Edmund Heller . The architect Lewis Hobart was hired for this. These enclosures included the monkey island, the lion house, the elephant house, the sea lion pool, an aviary and the bear grotto. One of the characteristics of the enclosures was that they were spacious for this time and that they could do without bars due to moats; they were among the first of their kind in the USA.
Herbert Fleishhacker suggested in 1941 that the zoo named after him be renamed in order to give the zoo a regional identity. So the zoo was renamed the San Francisco Zoo & Garden .
Foundation of the friends' association and further development of the zoo (1942–1992)
In 1954 the " San Francisco Zoological Society " (Society of the San Francisco Zoo), the friends' association of the zoo, was founded, which grew to 1,300 members within ten years. She supported the administration of the zoo with the acquisition of new animal species and with the financing of design processes. Various projects were carried out under her patronage, for example an enclosure for various African steppe animals in 1967, enclosures for pandas (1984), koalas and great apes (1985). In addition, the children's zoo was renovated in 1964, a veterinary clinic was built in 1975 and a center for the conservation of birds was built in 1978.
Between 1958 and 1968 the philanthropist Carroll Soo-Hoo donated 40 animals to the zoo, including western lowland gorillas , orangutans , chimpanzees , Siberian tigers , jaguars , hippos and spotted hyenas .
Modernization (from 1993)
In 1993, the San Francisco Zoological Society took over management and operation of the zoo as a tenant from the City of San Francisco. As a result, the zoo has been continuously modernized. The first enclosure built under new management was the Otter River , an enclosure for North American river otters . From 1994 to 2019, 57 different projects were implemented, with facilities being renovated or newly built, but also other areas such as the carousel, gardens and dining facilities being restored, designed or built.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic , the San Francisco Zoo was closed from March 17, 2020 to July 15, 2020.
Projects
Local conservation
The zoo works with other zoos and universities to support conservation projects for animals living in California, such as the Pacific pond turtle , a dragonfly species found only in the metropolitan area of San Francisco, and various species of frogs. In the zoo there are offspring that are released into the wild. More than 1000 frogs of the species Rana draytonii have been released into the wild in Yosemite National Park. The zoo takes part in research projects relating to species protection. In this context he works on the restoration of natural habitats, such as Mori Point and Lake Merced .
International conservation
Many nature and species protection projects are supported by the zoo, which operate worldwide and locally. The projects include protecting mountain cats in the Andes , gorillas in Africa, polar bears in the Arctic and snow leopards in Asia.
Enrichment
The zoo relies heavily on enrichment . The attempt is made to vary the food and present it in different ways. Animals should be trained to search for food and problem-solving strategies through hidden food. Enrichment is also increased by versatile equipment setup and placement of various items. Different senses should be addressed through aromas, noises and different surfaces. The target training is also used to keep the animal busy and should, for example, reduce the stress on the animal and the effort involved in the examination during medical examinations. The zoo has an enrichment catalog that lists different options for different species.
sustainability
Greenie's Conservation Corner is located in the zoo . This garden demonstrates how resources, e.g. B. water, energy and raw materials, can be used sustainably. Forage plants are grown and honey bees are kept. There is also a garden fountain with a watercourse powered by solar electricity, wind turbines for generating electricity and collecting rainwater.
75% of the solid waste in the zoo is reduced through composting and filling stations for water bottles. The zoo is also working closely with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission on projects designed to reduce the zoo's water and energy consumption.
Livestock
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The San Francisco Zoo has approximately 2000 animals from 250 species. There are animals from every continent. Many species are endangered according to the Red List , such as the bald ibis , fishing cat , bongo and California gopher tortoise .
The animals of the zoo are grouped into territories . On the Leanne B. Roberts African Savanna, giraffes , Granz zebras , greater kudu , African ostriches and crowned cranes are kept together. In addition to socialization, there are mostly enclosures in which only one species is kept. Within a district one usually finds individuals from the same region, e.g. B. Red kangaroos , emus and koalas in the Australian WalkAbout .
Incidents
There have been several incidents at the San Francisco Zoo that have harmed people or animals:
- In 2006 and 2007 there was one tiger attack. On December 22nd, 2006, a Siberian tiger attacked a zoo keeper while she was feeding, in front of the zoo visitors and injured her arm. On December 25, 2007, the same tiger escaped from its enclosure. He attacked several visitors. One visitor died of his injuries and two others survived injured. The tiger was shot by the police.
- In December 2011, a squirrel monkey disappeared from its enclosure after a hole was cut in the wire of the cage. The monkey was suspected to have been stolen. A few days later he was found in a park near the zoo.
- In November 2014, a young female gorilla died when it came under a closing, hydraulically operated gate.
- In June 2020, three kangaroos were killed by a predator. It is believed that it was a wild puma .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e 1922: The Zoo Finds a Home , history on the San Francisco Zoo website, accessed on September 12, 2020.
- ↑ a b About the Zoo , information about the zoo on the official website, accessed on September 12, 2020.
- ↑ Board of Directors , list of employees in the zoo management on the zoo's website, accessed on September 12, 2020.
- ↑ Early 1800s: Woodward's Gardens , history on the San Francisco Zoo website, accessed September 12, 2020.
- ↑ Late 1800s: The Bear Beginnings , history on the San Francisco Zoo website, accessed September 12, 2020.
- ↑ Fleishhacker Pool , information on the San Francisco Zoo website, accessed October 1, 2020.
- ↑ 1929: Our First Director , history on the San Francisco Zoo website, accessed September 12, 2020.
- ↑ 1930s: Our WPA Roots , history on the San Francisco Zoo website, accessed September 12, 2020.
- ↑ a b 1950s: The Zoological Society , history on the San Francisco Zoo website, accessed September 12, 2020.
- ↑ Present Day: The New Zoo , history on the San Francisco Zoo website, accessed on September 12, 2020.
- ↑ Timeline of Exhibits , list of modernized zoo areas since 1994, accessed on September 12, 2020.
- ↑ San Francisco Zoo Reopening On July 15 , In: San Francisco News, accessed September 12, 2020.
- ↑ a b Local Conservation Efforts , information on regional species protection projects on the zoo's website, accessed on September 12, 2020.
- ↑ SF Zoo conservation team releases over 1,000 nearly extinct frogs into natural Yosemite habitat , In: SFGate, accessed September 12, 2020.
- ↑ Restoring Native Habitat , information on regional habitat restoration projects on the zoo's website, accessed on September 12, 2020.
- ↑ Conservation Community , information on international conservation projects on the zoo's website, accessed on September 12, 2020.
- ↑ Animal Enrichment , information about enrichment on the zoo's website, accessed September 12, 2020.
- ↑ Working Green , information on the zoo's sustainable use of resources, accessed on September 12, 2020.
- ↑ San Francisco / Zookeeper hurt in tiger attack , Report on the attack of the tiger in December 2006, In: SFGate, accessed on September 12, 2020.
- ↑ Escaped tiger kills visitor, mauls two others at SF Zoo , Report on the attack of the tiger in December 2007, In: The Mercury News , accessed September 12, 2020.
- ↑ Banana-Sam Found! Monkey Stolen From SF Zoo , article on the event on NPR, accessed September 12, 2020
- ↑ SF Zoo's youngest gorilla fatally crushed by door , article about the event on SFGate, accessed on September 12, 2020
- ↑ Three marsupials killed at SF Zoo - did wandering mountain lion do it? , Article on the event, In: San Francisco Chronicle , accessed September 12, 2020