Rescuing Research Chimps? Would Be An Awesome Zoo Move!

Posted to my other blog on 1.17.15

My brain is always working.  I admit its mostly working on ways for the Zoo to do right by the Animals.  I love Animals and these Zoo Friends are one of the biggest passions in my life.  Especially the Senior Friends, who have given so much to everyone.  Their life has been the Zoo and they deserve everything.  The Chimps and Elly the Black Rhino have been there over 40 years and the Polars over 30.  All have been disrespected.

I heard rumor a few years ago that the Zoo didn't plan to get more Bears and were not doing upgrades because they were waiting, ....   I assume the same of the Chimps.  To me, that is an unexceptable way of looking at something.  Giving them best lives possible without disrupting their current living situation because of their age should be optimal.  

In the first post of this Chimp series, I noted ways to bring upgrades to their current home, much like I did for the Polar Bear Grotto.  In addition to those upgrades, I have an additional thought, that the Zoo should look at "adopting" > literally!

This plan took shape as an more doable version of my own Lotto Win Fantasy.  Because of the Zoo not making any upgrades to the Chimps in near 30 years,  I formed a fantasy idea to build a Chimp Sanctuary for our Chimps and the UCSF Chimps, that I would call Tallulah's place after our passed Lady.  This of course, pending one of the SFZOO Keepers who has taken care of ours, came on board to be with them. The facility would be a two-sided house with night quarters where all could see each other and an outside area that had a partition with a "howdy" fence so the two groups could meet and hopefully be slowly integrated.  

There are 2000+ Chimpanzees in reserach facilities.  Research using Chimpanzees from what I understand has been suspended and these Animals are waiting to start their life of freedom.  Many Chimpanzees have found homes in Sanctuaries.  There aren't enough Sanctuaries to house them all.   The Companies who used them didn't provide fore their retirement , most likely because they thought they would die in the research facility.  

Chimpanzees are an Animal most everyone has a fondness for.  We have grown up seeing them in Zoos, and in Entertainment.  In Zoos they are one of the most popular attractions.  I have seen students more visits than not, observing the Chimps behavior, documenting and sketching.

It would be a wonderful thing if Zoos started giving homes to these Research Chimps.  Rescuing them and giving them forever homes.   The San Francisco Zoo has rescued other Animals, including a large group of Squirrel Monkeys from Stanford.   They should look at rescuing the UCSF Chimpanzees who are waiting for a home and are allegedly currently still living in the research facility in the Zoos own neighborhood.

Not sure why I hadn't thought of this before, but in light of our Chimps getting up there in age and the loss of the Family Matriach Tallulah in 2013, rescuing the UCSF Chimps and at some point possibly intergrating the two groups would be a wonderful thing.  This would give the research Chimps a much needed home and never allow for one of our Senior Chimps to be left alone.

A plan like this would be good for both our own SFZoo Chimps and the UCSF Chimps.  

Several years ago it went to City Ballot whether to change the Zoo into a Rescue Zoo only.  Obviously it didn't pass, and I wasn't in support of that at the time, as I wasn't well informed on all things SFZOO, and I didn't think an across the board mansate should be made imposed.  That said, now, there is something to be said for that in part.  I think the Powers that be, whether the City, Rec and Park, whoever, should put a halt to the Zoo bringing in any new Animals, if they are not rescues, until all the current Animal Residents have adequite homes.  This includes back-burnering all current Master Plans for new Exhibit areas.

Don't know who has to approve the Zoo's Master Plan, or new exhibits, but I'll find out.  I think the Zoo should be forced to scrap the current long in effect plan for North American Region and put into priority action, a plan for a version of the Great Ape Forest that was supposed to be ... That way, our Chimpanzees get a new home, and the UCSF Research Chimps get rescued to a life of freedom.

It would be the height of an Act of Conservation.  Our Zoo needs to do something good in light of the recent past.  Giving the UCSF CHimps a home would be a good tribute to our lost Gorilla Kabibe.  A sort of an Ape for an Ape.

I have read the San Francisco Zoo allegedly has 40+ Million in reserve.  Not sure exactly what that means but sounds like they have money even thought they cry poor too often.  They do seem to find money when they want to build Tiki Huts and such.  

The Zoo should launch a fundraiser for this effort specifically, but since they already misappropriated funds designated years ago, they should not wait or count on those donations, yet use them for the future care ect.