The San Francisco Zoo is plagued by a decades-long history of animal neglect and gross mismanagement. Since a horrific incident in 2007, when Tatiana, a tiger, escaped and killed a visitor before being gunned down by police, the zoo has been a continuous scene of tragedy and incompetence. Animal welfare and safety have been repeatedly compromised, with incidents that would be utterly shocking if they weren’t so frequent. Don’t allow China to send giant pandas to this death trap of a zoo!
The list of failures is staggering. Kabibe, a young gorilla, was crushed by a hydraulic door. Handy Harry, a beloved penguin, was gruesomely killed by a guillotine door. Orangutans Berani and Judy endured two years confined to indoor cages with scant outdoor access. Banana Sam, a squirrel monkey, and Maki, a lemur, were both stolen. Two elephants died within a few months of each other, leading to the zoo being forced to send its remaining elephants to sanctuary by the San Francisco City Council. More recently, a wild puma killed a kangaroo and two wallaroos. A recent investigation at the zoo by In Defense of Animals and SF Zoo Watch found dozens of horrendously unsuitable enclosures and visibly stressed animals.
The cycle of neglect continues, and now San Francisco Zoo is attempting to acquire giant pandas from China. Bringing pandas to this deteriorating facility is particularly concerning. Pandas require extensive, specialized care — housing them in an already crumbling zoo would be both irresponsible and cruel.
A disturbing example of pandas suffering from incompetence and neglect is the story of giant pandas YaYa and LeLe at the Memphis Zoo, who were the focus of a high-profile campaign by In Defense of Animals to send them home. Shortly after winning a promise for them to return, LeLe died after 17 days of declining health without receiving any medical check-ups or treatment. His death triggered worldwide anger and criticism of Memphis Zoo.
Furthermore, the zoo’s funding plan for bringing and housing pandas is quite unsustainable. While the Mayor’s fundraising may cover the construction of the panda house, it does not ensure the long-term financial support needed for the pandas’ care in San Francisco. If the zoo incurs expenses that far exceed the revenue generated from panda exhibitions, the mounting costs may lead to a shortage of bamboo supply and poor bamboo quality, compromising the welfare of the pandas.
Additionally, Mayor Breed plans to remove safeguards that were put in place only recently to tackle widespread corruption which Breed herself was implicated in and fined over $8,000. Moving forward with this initiative not only jeopardizes animal welfare but also entangles San Francisco in a highly controversial situation and a morally fraught fundraising agreement.
As pandas age, the cost of feeding them could increase due to the requirement for their health care and daily supply of bamboo shoots and nutritional supplements. Solely relying on donations to provide for the needs of the giant pandas is unreliable, especially for a zoo that already faces a lack of resources which is already significantly impacting the quality of life of its current animals. YaYa and LeLe endured disturbing suffering from incompetence and neglect at the Memphis Zoo and similar neglect could easily befall pandas in the San Francisco Zoo’s substandard conditions.
Additionally, bringing pandas to the zoo will further increase its extreme, already existing issues. The panda program will cost upwards of $35 million to construct the new exhibit and a $1-2 million annual rental fee. It will also divert crucial resources from improving conditions for the zoo’s current suffering inhabitants. The funding should be used to improve the current exhibits and conditions for the animals, rather than the construction of a multi-million dollar panda exhibit.
The suffering of YaYa and LeLe at Memphis Zoo was immense, so much so that LeLe died from neglect. YaYa, who was sent back to China at the end of the panda loan contract, is absolutely thriving and the extreme issues she endured in Memphis are no longer a problem for her. The story went viral including an action on Twitter from celebrity Billie Eilish who advocated for the release of the pandas from Memphis Zoo. San Francisco Zoo would be putting itself in a similar position for scrutiny and criticism.
People with deep connections to the zoo, including zookeepers, told The Chronicle that the nearly century-old institution should consider fixing its aging facilities, as acquiring pandas would compromise attention and resources that are needed for repairs and building permanent exhibits for other animals who have been housed in temporary facilities for years during construction. For example, two orangutans were kept in a very outdated cement enclosure with limited outdoor space and without enough room for them to swing with their arms for two years while the exhibit was being renovated.
The San Francisco Zoo is a ticking time bomb of negligence and danger, desperately needing a complete overhaul before more lives are lost. We must take immediate action to push for the cancellation of the panda acquisition for the sake of pandas and urge the zoo to focus on fixing its extremely critical issues for the sake of its current animals.