Black Rhino so DRY Skin is Now Cracking!!!

^ 12.26.09 ^ How her skin is supposed to look.

^ 2.11.10 ^ Looking dry

^ 2.21.11 ^ After being Oiled! :)

^ 5.22.10 ^ Elly and Mishaki, both skin in good condition

^ 2.26.11 ^ Looking Dry

^ 4.14.11 ^ Dryer!

^ 5.28.11 ^ Even Dryer!

^ 7.3.11 ^ YIKES!

^ 7.10.11 ^ Comparison of Elly and Mishaki

^ 8.12.11 ^ The Sore! :(

^ the sore up close 8.12.11 ^

For months I have been wanting to do a post on the issue "Dry Elly" , but keep having other issues pop up. NOW from my perspective, the issue has literally come to a breaking point.

In the past 4-5 months, Elly, the female Black Rhino has seemed to have increasingly extreme skin dryness. I know that the Black Rhino's used to get oiled, but I haven't seen that in over a year. In fact the last photo's I have of Elly having been oiled are posted here, dated February 2010.

I have posted a time-line of photos to show the changes in her skin. I started noticing it as she was becoming more and more chalky looking, especially on her face and hind area. So much so, she started looking ghostly. I don't have many photos as I found it hard to see this happening to this precious Zoo friend.

Since I do not feel I'm in the position to inquire with her Keepers, there really isn't much I can do or say, other than shout it out here and hope the Zoo takes notice.

It might appear to some that all I want to do if find faults and post about them. That is not true. I do not like using time and energy in this way. But, when things are wrong, and this is very wrong, I can not keep quiet. As a frequent visitor and someone who watches (opposed to looking and moving on) the Animals, I notice things others may not. That said, what I notice is also from the perspective of the visitors eye.

Last Friday, August 12, 2011, I snapped the last photos posted here. I was horrified to see this huge sore on Elly's side! It appears that the dryness of her skin has caused it to crack, flake and bleed! This is horrible and when I think too hard about it, I become physically ill. ... I just want to rub Vaseline all over her!

How can the Zoo allow this to happen? Why hasn't this poor Animal, who turned 40! in January and has given birth to over a dozen Calfs, why hasn't her skin been taken care of? Why has she not been oiled in at least a year? Why has she been allowed to have her skin turn chalky? And NOW apparently, its just flaking off!

This is outrageous.

I tweeted the Zoo about it, and got no response. No surprise, as since the Zoo Director Tanya Peterson has stated outright lies about myself and a friend, most Staff outside Keeper level view us as public enemy number one, and disregard anything we say, including valid CONCERNS regarding Animal health and welfare.

Outrageous as well.

SO, What can and will be done to help Elly? I plan to post this and send it to the Zoo Vet Staff. Hopefully they are aware of this sore and its being treated. Hopefully the Hoofstock Staff gets it together and OILS poor Dry Elly, and Mishaki (the male) as well, on a regular basis.


Sunday August 27, 2011 UPDATE:

Tuesday August 16, 2011 - Emailed a letter that included this link to the San Francisco Zoo Vets, Dr Graham Crawford and Dr Adrian M. Received no reply.

Wednesday August 17, 2011 - Emailed a letter that included this link to the USDA department that handles Zoo animal welfare. Received no reply.

Sunday August 21, 2011- Emailed a letter that included this link to San Francisco Animal Welfare Chair, Sally Stephens. She replied and has been in contact with the Zoo regarding this.

At this point I relinquish control to Sally Stephens and the USDA if they make inquiries. I feel that I have done my part on Elly's behalf by alerting all the entities that I felt were necessary. I hope something is done to tend to Elly's sores and skin on a whole. As well Mishaki the male as I have seen one such sore on him too. ... I was at the Zoo today and neither appear moisturized in anyway, nor any medicinal treatment to the sores.

Why us?

Why are we always the ones to witness such awful behavior? It is not always even behavior as offensive as this. Yesterday I also saw someone spit a loogy (sp?) onto a tree at the Rhinos, so big it was dripping like a glob of tinsel on a Christmas Tree. Truly disgusting, I felt like vomiting. The Zoo spends money to employ a great landscaping team, who plants and cares to make the grounds nice. Would these people like someone to come and spit in their home? or garden? WHAT is wrong with people?

I see a wide variety of misconduct everywhere I go, but I've narrowed down my true disgust to situations involving animals and where they live.

Who are all the rest of the people who see this misbehavior and say nothing? Is everyone else a coward or do they not even notice because they too are despicable and think its acceptable behavior? Because in regard to yesterday, out of 30+ people, we were the only ones horrified AND I was the only one who went to report this behavior to help my Chimp friends. Why do people who don't respect animals, come to the Zoo?

The event that happened yesterday at the Chimpanzee enclosure was horrifying on a few levels.
*The abusers thought it was acceptable to visit an animal park and terrorize the Animals who live there.
*The other Visitors, joined in by finding humor in this behavior and outwardly displaying it by adding to the laughter and heckling.
*The San Francisco Zoo Staff did nothing.

I am a believer in the thought that, everything happens for a reason. There was a reason we witnessed this event yesterday. How it developed and how it was handled has a direct connection to the situation regarding the revoking of the Memberships of Lee and I. If you aren't familiar with this situation, please read the blog, www.sanfranciscozoocrime.blogspot.com

Lee reported witnessing a Visitor who had been over a barrier at the Bear Grottos. This report when all was said and done, resulted in both our Memberships being revoked. The Zoo for whatever reasons (my true suspicions will eventually be made public) fabricated a story saying that "I had admitted to calling in a prank call." Obviously that statement alone is ridiculous, but I'll move on.

Yesterday, we and everyone else, witnessed a Visitor throw an object AT an Animal Resident. For this action, the man received a "warning."

So, to sum up, we report misbehavior and get our Memberships revoked, our names slandered and our reputations at a place we loved ruined, BUT someone actually assaults an Animal Resident verbally and with intent to do physical harm, and they get a warning? Was this offender asked if he was a Member? If he was, would his Membership have been revoked? The answer is a BIG FAT NO!

The way the San Francisco Zoo is being run, is becoming in my opinion, a bigger joke by the Visit. I commend them on one thing of recent, giving the Sea Lions Henry and Silent Knight forever homes. With that I have to say, if this City expects to have a Zoo for these Seals to live at forever, there needs to be a serious restructuring in Management at the San Francisco Zoo, because the current Team appears to be ruining what could be the best place in the City.

Note: Please expand all comments that follow this post. The type appears small and sometimes important information is added that can go unnoticed. Thank you.

NEWS for today - Zoo Management Lets Visitors Abuse the Animals!

Before starting an on going posting thread of issues as they happen, I had a series of topics I wanted to address in this blog that have been outstanding for some time, BUT I witnessed something at the Zoo today that I'm still shaken about.

Evidently (from what I witnessed today) The San Francisco Zoo Management and Security, allow Visitors to Abuse the Animals without any repercussion.

Before I relay the chain of events, please note that if this is your first read of something I've written San Francisco Zoo related, please read the Welcome post on this blog, which will link you to some information about my connection to the Zoo.

When my friend Lee and I arrived at the Zoo today, we stopped at the Chimps as we usually do. Cobby (the male) was the only one out and he was lounging in the sun enjoying himself. We always stop to see the Chimps on the way out as well, and Cobby was still the only one out. There was no sun now, but he was lounging peacefully, with his head tilted up and back to where you could see his eyes.

At first it was only Lee and I, but then a "family" group strolled up and stopped at the center of the enclosure. One of the men came and stood near me, on the side Cobby was. The man, yes a grown man, immediately started making Ape sounds at Cobby. He then heckled back and forth with the other man in his group about whether it was an Orangutan or,... Once that nonsense was over, they both continued with the Ape sounds until Cobby noticed them.

Once Cobby noticed them, the man next to me moved over to the center to join his group. I could see Cobby grab a blue plastic goblet, that is probably an item used as part of a food enrichment. I knew what was going to happen next, because I know Cobby. He can get very upset.

Note that all four Chimps that live at the Zoo in this enclosure together are between 50-60 years old. So, upsetting them is like terrorizing a Senior Citizen.

Cobby then looked my way and then looked to the center. I know he knew I didn't make those noises at him. He zero'd in on the abusers and started vocalizing and swinging his arms from side to side, which is a sign of agitation. His gesturing and vocals increased, to the delight of the abusers, who kept laughing at him and heckling. At this point there was a crowd growing, as Cobby threw the goblet at the abusers! Much like the Tatiana (Tiger) event, these animals know who is the ones abusing them.

After giving Cobby a mental high-five, I was walking away from the area, but there was such a commotion with the crowd which had grown to about 30+ and Cobby screaming, that I stayed to make sure he was ok.

The abusers and the crowd were further delighted by the throw.!? Then the one who was standing next to me who had gotten Cobby upset to the point he retaliated, picked up the goblet and threw it back, at Cobby! I was appalled! I didn't think THAT was going to be the next move or I would have video taped it.

Ever since, the Zoo revoked our Memberships and slandered us, I deleted the reporting number off my phone and I don't say anything about anything that people do there AND I see alot! Lee reported a barrier crossing at Bears and we were both nailed to the stake and branded public enemy number one for following the Zoo's request to report such sightings. We say nothing! BUT once that man threw something at Cobby, I could not, NOT say something!

I told Lee to stay there and take photos of the abusers and situation, in case they left before I could find someone to tell. Note that since the Zoo has ruined our reputation there, we get the stink eye from everyone in Management, Security and other assorted followers, so approaching anyone on their team that is not still a friend (which really only includes a handful of Keepers) is a big deal for me to do. I don't even like looking at these people who have treated us so horrible, but one of my Zoo Animal friends was being abused and I couldn't stand by without saying something.

I stopped the Cafe Manager (Kim I think) and asked her to radio Security to Chimps, someone had upset Cobby and when he threw something out, the abusers further abused by throwing it back at him. She jumped into action and let me say that of the four Staff Members who were eventually involved, she was the only one who seemed to really care about Cobby.

I went back to Chimps and the crowd was even bigger and the abusers were still laughing and heckling! Now, the three Chimp ladies were out screaming too and trying to calm Cobby down. Amazing how a crowd of adults who paid to come into a place where animals live, found such humor in seeing the animals in distress.

When Security Staffer Eddie arrived I told him what happened. I stood there while he just glanced around looking at the crowd. I pointed out the abusers and showed a photo. Still he made no attempt to approach them AND they were all still laughing.

When the abusers started to leave the area and walked by us, I said to Eddie, "Them." He still said nothing to them, until the guy who started the whole scene, turned and looked at me as I was pointing out all the people in his group. He said something to me that indicated a questioning of why I was pointing them out. I said, "You started this whole thing. You got Cobby so upset that he threw something and then you threw it back at him." To which the abuser said, "Well what was I supposed to do?" !!! I replied, "Um, act like an adult and let someone know." He responded that I was "disrespecting him." Disrespecting him? He's an adult who just threw an object at an Animal Resident in its home. I said, "You started it when you were over next to me, making Ape sounds that got him upset. There's a sign right there with a finger to the lips, that means to keep quiet." At that point, knowing how the Zoo twists truths, I said, "I'm not saying anything else to you, Security will talk to you." I then went and stood on the side.

Guest Services Staffer Walker and IT guy Robert, joined Eddie and (Kim). After barely words, the abusers walked off!!! I went up to Eddie and said, "So, they throw something at an animal and they just get to continue on their way?" He said, "I gave them a warning." !!! A warning? Is he kidding me? These abusers should have been thrown out. I asked him further about this, to which he said, "I don't make the rules." SO, once again the San Francisco Zoo FAILS!

I have been privy to other instances where offenders haven't been thrown out AND if they are, the Zoo gives them their money back! Which makes me feel like its sending the message, Hey, come abuse our animals and we'll pay you to do it! Today's message was, "Hey come abuse our animals and then we'll point you in the direction of even more animals for you to abuse." Nice going San Francisco Zoo!

This was sickening. I was sad and horrified! I was so worked up by the episode, I had palpitations, my chest was tight and felt like crying, that Cobby was abused in this way while lounging peacefully in his home. AND that the Zoo Team did nothing about it.

How is it people who work in an animal environment can condone not being more strict with people who abuse the animals who live there?

Last year Supervisor Sean Elsbernd was instrumental in pushing the amendment to legislation regarding the animals who live at the Zoo and in our Parks. I had a copy of the full Law as Code, but will have to search for it and post another time. This is a snip from an article regarding the new law.

You can read more details on my Zoo Friends Blog
http://gooberssfzoofriends.blogspot.com/search?q=elsbernd

That documented, HOW can the Zoo just let those abusers continue on with their visit?

Note: Please expand all comments that follow this post. The type appears small and sometimes important information is added by myself and other posters, that can go unnoticed. Thank you. ... Please read the accompanying post titled "Why us." ... In light of some people having a posting issue, please know that I have published all the comments submitted. If you have a comment and are having trouble you can contact me via the about.me link on the right hand side.