Another Habitat Expansion Idea! - Video View

At the February Meeting where Director Peterson proclaimed her Commitment to allow Maggie, Minnie and Cobby our three Senior Chimpanzees, live out their lives at the San Francisco Zoo, the only home they have ever known, she boasted about all the things that were in sight for them. *Upgrades to the Current Triple Grotto.  Something they have waited 30 years for. Nothing has happened to date.  *Expansion to the Pachyderm Building.  This would allow for additional Chimps to increase their Group size, something necessary to ensure they have a secure future here.  This project has been back-burnered in favor of a New Exhibit for New Animals that don't even live at the SFZoo. *Fundraising for a 10 Million dollar Chimp Forest.  I have heard nothing except the one mention effort on their Facebook Page.  

Let's face it, there are two obstacles in the Chimps situation.  First, Director Peterson.  Is she really committed to doing anything for the Chimps?  Their home still having peeling paint on it, indicates they are still low priority.  Is she doing everything she can to raise funds for their Need?  Does she even care?  Did she only bow to Public Pressure when she committed to letting the Chimps stay?  Or is she waiting for the opportunity to still Kick them Out?  These are valid questions as she moves forward with building the New Exhibit for the Sifaka Lemurs, while the Chimps sit by and watch.  

The other obstacle, is the reality that there isn't funds for even smaller scale projects, Allegedly some of the recent additions haven't even been fully funded, even though there has been go ahead and completion.  So, where does that leave the Chimps?  There was the Million Dollar donation to complete the first phase of the Expansion from the North Grotto to the Pachyderm building.  When, Where, Who, How, will funding for the rest of the plan happen?  

My post from the other day detailing the plan including a photo:

http://savesfzoochimps.blogspot.com/2015/10/sky-trail-project-video-view-project-on.html

The reality is, while having grand plans for state of the art Exhibits like this Primate Expansion and the proposed Chimp Forest is a wonderful thought, it is a dream of grandeur.  We have an old Zoo and no Money.  And in the Chimps case, they are not in the position to continue waiting for these dreams to come true.

A couple weeks ago I was thinking about the unused space and how it could be put to use.  Then with the intention of making a video about the area that runs along the north side of the path that leads from Chimps to Wolverines, I had an idea that in theory seems doable, but again, this is from a Visitor point of view, there may be reasons it would work, but there might be reasons it would.  

Here's the video I did make:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0zY6U8973w

With this idea, I've shown the use of what we already have.  There is an indoor and outdoor area that could be connected via a Sky Trail from the North Grotto (maybe even an off shoot of the one going to the additional Night Quarters in the in plan plan).  Here's another one of my fancy drawings :)

I changed a bit of my vision from the video narration but still basically the same :)  The glassed in barrier that would run along the path, could be lined with trees or bamboo planking from either side (I think inside), to create a very dense visual barrier from Visitors.  The area near the door to the building could be a glassed in area framed with fabricated trees, much like the Anaconda exhibit, where Visitors could view the outdoor area.  Likewise framed viewing at the west-end of the indoor area.  There could even be a chain linked fence that runs the length of the indoor area from east to west, creating an area that Keepers could go into to provide treats and show training.  Of course removing the windows to create indoor/outdoor access for them.

Seems like a cost effective and functional idea to further expand the Chimps Habitat.

I say that the Donors who have given to this other Dream of Grandeur for the proposed Americas region, which would Build New Exhibits for New Animals,  should step up and actually give to Animals currently living at the Zoo that are in Need.

If anything you read moves you,

Please contact the SFZoo Director

Tanya Peterson

tanyap@sfzoo.org

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Triple Grotto Upgrade Suggestions and Idea

I'll start by saying, of course thoughts are based on a Visitor point of view.  There may be reasons this wouldn't work, but you never know so I'm tossing it out there.  Just like I did with the Bear Grotto Expansion idea and they did pretty much what I suggested.  And hey, they pay outside consultants, so they are getting me for free!

If you're interested and missed this one:

http://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2012/06/what-to-do-at-bears-not-question-but.html

The basic thought for this is, there is too much unused space.  There should be a way to fill it in and still contain them.

So, I have always thought that the Chimps could use a larger surface area.  They way the Triple Grotto is set-up, there is too much wasted space with the Moat.  All they have is what looks to be about five feet of surface grass around each climbing structure.  All they can do is come out, walk around the perimeter of the island, forage for whatever food might have been tossed there, and then go up and sit.  Sit for the rest of the day.  Likewise when the South Grotto had a climbing structure.   I heard there was some damage to it and it was taken down several years ago and that Grotto was closed off to them for awhile.  When it reopened, a huge log was placed in there.  I've seen them sit on the log, but not sure how attached they are to it.  That Grotto isn't accessible, but from every perspective I have, it seems the log is in the middle of the island, so again, they don't have much surface space.

Here's a video of an overview of the whole area:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF26aVLmfQc

For years I have thought a great idea would be to fill in the moats and connect all the Grotto's to create a huge surface area for them.  Taking construction disturbances into consideration, I think just connecting the Middle and South Grotto might be a better idea.  ... The distance from the island to the edge looks to be about 8-10 feet.  So, by doing this, that would give them an extra 30+ feet surface area across at the least and extend the distance from the Grotto's out by Eight feet. Eight on one side, 16 between the two and another Eight on the other side.  I'm not an artist by any means, but I did this little piece that might help (or it might not!).

So, in my mind, the Middle and South Grotto could be enclosed (shown with the Orange outline), using a glass barrier?  So they have the same visual as they are used to.  They would also still have open air as they are used to, when they are on structures.  The Yellow area is the Moat that can be filled in and landscaped over (the Light Green overlay).  

This idea would also fix the Barrier Issue that has been a problem at the Middle Grotto.  As you can see below, the only barrier that extends past the metal barrier around the Moat, is that flex fencing behind the signage (which wasn't even there a couple years ago when I witnessed kids beyond the fence).  That fencing ends and does not connect to anything that would prevent a Breach.

I wrote a blog post about it two years ago.  It also contains other Barrier stuff, but there's some good details and photos pertaining to the way the Barrier is set-up and how Breachable it is.

http://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2013/10/kids-allowed-beyond-barriers-at-chimp.html

Only thing I would add about a new barrier, is that the metal barrier around the Middle Grotto, especially in that area at the back of the Cafe and connecting to the North Grotto should remain in place.  Not only for Safety Reasons, but the Peahens nest in that area and a place they are comfortable should not be disturbed.

The South Grotto is not accessible to Visitors, and I'm leaning toward thinking that's not a bad idea, so the Chimps have an outdoor area where they aren't "on exhibit".  I have another idea for viewing from a distance, that would involve some tree trimming and possibly adding a Viewing Scope, from the Stairway to the upper part of the Primate Center.

When envisioning the enlarged surface area that extends from the base of the Middle Grotto structure to the end of the South Grotto, I see a habitat that mimics nature.  Fabricated Trees and a Termite Mound. ... I did some research on my idea and found this photo of the Houston Zoo Chimp exhibit, which is similar to our Gorilla exhibit.  Looking down at them is not a good thing, but I'm looking at the Fabricated Trees and that one big one is exactly what I'm thinking about.  Its pretty awesome, many branches to climb and sit and what appears to be scooped out areas.

This video, is of the Fabricated Trees and Termite Mounds at the Zoo.  None are at or have ever been considered for the Chimps.  Why?

https://youtu.be/IGp3aoGxy2U

Could this idea work as good as it seems?

There is also still the idea I put forth to Director Peterson about having a tree lined barrier to distract direct view from the Chimps perspective to the Visitors, to possibly eliminate some of the visual Visitor disturbances that often upset Cobby.  Visitors could still view the Chimps through staggered trees and when they are on the structure.

If anything you read moves you,

Please contact the SFZoo Director

Tanya Peterson

tanyap@sfzoo.org

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Sky Trail Project - Video View - Project On Hold

Many have asked me about the photos in Director Peterson's presentation regarding the proposed Expansion from the current Chimpanzee Exhibit, Triple Grotto, using a Sky Trail into the west side of the Pachyderm Building.

SFZoo photo showing area in the Pachyderm Building 

to be used as additional housing, 

allowing Zoo to increase the size of our Group.

You can read my post about this here:

http://savesfzoochimps.blogspot.com/2015/04/upgrade-update-joint-zoo-meeting-32615.html

I took this video a few months ago, and never got to posting it.  Now I have a series of them, so I think its actually better timing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Xqi_oszKLQ&feature=youtu.be

Hope this helps understand what the Zoo plans to do.  

Note that this was presented at the March 2015 Joint Zoo Committee Meeting, one month after Committing to Keeping the Chimpanzees to Live out their Lives in the only home they have ever known.  Committing to Upgrading and Expanding their Current Home to provide them more Environmental Enrichment and to Expand their Group Size Securing their Future at the San Francisco Zoo.  

Further note that five months later, plans to back burner this project in favor of building a New Exhibit, for Sifaka Lemurs, an Animal the Zoo Does Not even Have yet, were revealed at the July Joint Zoo Committee Meeting.

Not one Person on the Joint Zoo Committee Panel questioned this.  One of the responsibilities of The Joint Zoo Committee Panel is to Yay or Nay proposed Acquisitions.  They Never question anything.

Minnie, Maggie and Cobby continue to Wait.  They have Waited Thirty Years.

This shows the level of Priority the Chimps still have in the Minds of San Francisco Zoo Director Tanya Peterson, the San Francisco Zoological Society Board and Members, and the San Francisco Recreation and Park Joint Zoo Committee Members.

I questioned Director Peterson about her decision to back burner the Chimps in favor of the Sifaka Lemurs.  The "conversation" is detailed in this post:

http://savesfzoochimps.blogspot.com/2015/09/joint-zoo-meeting-82715-chimpanzees.html

If anything you read moves you,

Please contact the SFZoo Director

Tanya Peterson

tanyap@sfzoo.org

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Joint Zoo Committee, What Are They Good For?

Coming Soon!

I have some ideas for this and several other posts.  Putting them in Coming Soon status, as I need a link done for a correspondence.  Please keep checking back or follow leo811 on Twitter for when they go live.

Thank you!

What Now? - How Can We Help Our Chimps?

Coming Soon!

I have some ideas for this and several other posts.  Putting them in Coming Soon status, as I need a link done for a correspondence.  Please keep checking back or follow leo811 on Twitter for when they go live.

Thank you!