Saturday, June 20, 2009

today's newspaper article


i can't write about my love for the zoo without at some point commenting on the tiger event that happened christmas day 2007. with the publishing of today's article, (viewable on sfgate.com), it presents the perfect time to say a few things becuz the gist of it basically outlines how the love i have for the zoo is in jeopardy. i'll assume most people who have happened here are familiar with the tiger event. i do not want to make this a forum like that on sfgate where readers who have uneducated opinions about the purpose of zoo's in general, who don't take the time to educate themselves about zoo's, animals, or even the tiger event specifically or those who have never been to the sfzoo, get a public say. they can make their own blog. i also don't want to put forth my opinion about how that event came to be. i want to say, for 78 years there had been no big cat escapes from those grotto's, that i know of. my main problem with the media attention and ignorance its bred, is that its focused almost exclusivley on the height of the wall. when reporting the word as it appears from the associaltion guidelines states "reccomended" height, not "required". meaning seems obvious to me and blameless. ... i was there that christmas day two hours before the event that took tatiana's life and this may very well be, the last photo ever taken of her (above). she was not displaying any negative mood, she was enjoying a winter day's sun. ... the events of that day in my opinion were laid by humans. the aftermath has left a stain on the zoo's reputation and financial stability. my fear is the residents who have called the sfzoo home, some for over forty years, may not have the chance to live out their lives there. if you believe in the zoo, please make an extra effort to support it in even the simplest way, by visiting and visiting more often and by sharing your feelings with others. maybe you will touch someone who has never visited the zoo or hasn't in along time. its a small way you can do something for the very animals on these pages that i'm hoping you'll come to love too.

1 comment:

  1. FCC awesome visit yesterday !!! To be a mere few feet from a Snow Leopard, Fishing Cat and to look into the nesting box of baby Ocelots...and actually hear their Mom's low
    growl/roar...as big cats protect. Every visit to the zoo is an adventure and you never know what fantastic treat you will get to see.

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