electra-supply.comA recent report from the San Francisco Animal Control and Welfare Commission has raised serious concerns about the safety of the San Francisco Zoo. The commission found that the aging facilities pose risks to visitors, staff, and the animals themselves.
In their recommendations to the City Council, the commission called for a comprehensive audit of the 95-year-old zoo. Jane Tobin, one of the report’s authors, conducted an on-site inspection alongside commission chair Michael Angelo Torres and experts Joe Spinelli and Justin Barker, during which they identified significant safety deficiencies.
While the zoo’s safety measures comply with the U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations and have passed inspections by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the report notes that these standards only meet the minimum requirements—leaving both animals and people at risk.
The report criticizes the enclosures for not meeting animal welfare standards, stating that some are “even in a state of disrepair,” with animals potentially able to escape. For instance, the jaguar’s enclosure has a movable top, and the zoo had a serious incident in 2008 where a tiger escaped and fatally attacked someone, which raises concerns about negligence. The conditions for primates like lemurs and leaf monkeys are vastly different; while the former have a well-designed habitat, the latter live in what has been described as a cage.
Although the zoo is city-owned, its daily operations are managed by the San Francisco Zoological Society, a nonprofit organization. However, the report highlights that the agreement between the city and the society hasn’t been updated since the 1990s, while the annual funding from the society is only $4 million, indicating that the city needs to increase its financial support.
San Francisco City Councilman Aaron Peskin, who is currently running for mayor, told the San Francisco Chronicle that a full assessment of the zoo is indeed necessary. Joel Engardio, the councilmember representing the district adjacent to the zoo, along with Myrna Melgar, who also serves on the council, agree that the city needs to review its policies regarding the zoo and allocate funds to improve the environment.
Parisa Safarzadeh, a spokesperson for the mayor, acknowledged that the commission has raised concerns about the zoo but emphasized that it meets the standards set by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. She added that Mayor London Breed is committed to addressing the zoo’s renovation needs and has introduced giant pandas from China to boost international interest, which could help secure funding for improvements. The zoo’s CEO, Tanya Peterson, and board chair Melinda Dunn did not respond to inquiries from the Chronicle.
