San Francisco Zoo

San Francisco Zoo
File:Sfzoologo.gif
37°43′59″N 122°30′11″W
Date opened	1929
Location	San Francisco, California United States
Land area	0.51 k² (125 acres)
No. of animals	more than 930 [1]
No. of species	250
Memberships	AZA
Website	http://www.sfzoo.org

The San Francisco Zoo, (previously Fleishhacker Zoo) is a zoo in San Francisco, California housing more than 250 different animal species. It is located in the southwestern corner of the city, between the Great Highway and Lake Merced. The main entrance, once located on the north side across the street from the old Doggie Diner, has been moved to the west side of the zoo along the Great Highway and the Pacific Ocean. The western terminus of the L Taraval Muni Metro line is one block to the north of the zoo.

The Beginning of the San Francisco Zoo

The San Francisco Zoo was founded by banker and SF Parks Commission president Herbert Fleishhacker. Fleishhacker began planning for construction on a selected site in the southwest corner of San Francisco, adjacent to the Fleishhacker Pool, once the largest swimming pool in the United States. The area was also already home to a children’s playground, an original Michael Dentzel carousel, and the Mother’s Building, a haven for women and their children. Most of the exhibits were populated with animals transferred from Golden Gate Park, including two zebras, a cape buffalo, five rhesus monkeys, two spider monkeys, and three elephants–Virginia, Marjory and Babe.

The Zoo Grows

Male and Female Lions

The first exhibits built in the 1930s cost US$3.5 million, which included Monkey Island, Lion House, Elephant House, a sea lion pool, an aviary and bear grottos. These spacious, moated enclosures were among the first bar-less exhibits in the country.

Over the following forty years, the Zoological Society became a powerful fundraising source for the SF Zoo, just as Fleishhacker had hoped when he envisioned “…a Zoological Society similar to those established in other large cities. The Zoological Society will aid the Parks Commission in the acquisition of rare animals and in the operation of the zoo.” True to its charter, the Society immediately exerted its influence on the SF Zoo, obtaining more than 1,300 annual memberships in its first 10 years (nearly 25,000 today). It also funded important projects like the renovation of the Children’s Zoo in 1964, development of the African Scene in 1967, purchasing medical equipment for the new Zoo Hospital in 1975, and the establishment of the Avian Conservation Center in 1978.

The Zoo Today

Hippopotamus in San Francisco Zoo

In November 2004, Tinkerbelle, San Francisco Zoo's last Asian elephant moved to a sanctuary in the Sierras. Since Lulu, an African elephant, joined her there in March 2005, there are no longer any elephants at the SF Zoo. The moves followed the highly publicized deaths of thirty-eight year old Calle in March 2004 and forty-three year old Maybelle a month later in April.

While San Francisco Zoo is the largest zoo in northern California, it is also the oldest. However, renovations continue to make exhibits more comfortable for animals, as well as more appealing and educational for zoo guests.

Recent exhibit renovations

• Otter River (1994); featuring North American river otters
• Feline Conservation Center (1994); housing three species of small cat, including snow leopard, ocelot, and Malayan fishing cats
• Spectacled bear exhibit renovation (1994)
• Lion House outdoor enclosures (1994)
• Eagle Island renovation (1995); providing a home for Sureshot, an injured (and non-releasable) bald eagle
• Australian WalkAbout (1995); new space for red kangaroos and emus
• Flamingo Lake renovation (1995)
• Monkey Island demolition (1995)
• Hippopotamus exhibit renovation (1995)
• Warthog exhibit (1996)
• Billabong (1996)
• Aviary renovation (1996)
• Ring-tailed lemur exhibit renovation (1996)
• Children’s Zoo entrance (1996)
• Kodiak bear exhibit (1996)
• Avian Conservation Center (1997)
• African lion cub exhibit (1997)
• Aye-aye Forest (1997)
• Asian elephant exhibit renovations (1997 and 1999)
• Rainbow Landing (now Lorikeet Landing) (1998)
• Outdoor aviary demolition (1998)
• Restoration of Little Puffer (miniature railroad) (1998)
• Primate Discovery Center terrace exhibit renovation (1998)

• Children’s Zoo renovation (1999)
• Puente al Sur (1999); this exhibit now houses giant anteaters, mountain tapirs, and capybara
• Infrastructure replacement (1999)
• Aviary renovation (2000); represents a South American tropical forest, complete with birds, caiman, and an anaconda
• Seal pool/bear exhibits (2000)
• Connie and Bob Lurie Education Center (2001)
• Koret Animal Resource Center (2001)
• Expanded Children’s Zoo and Family Farm (2001)
• Wetlands habitat (2001)
• Cassowary Exhibit (2001); features double-wattled cassowaries, one of the world's largest bird species
• Lipman Family Lemur Forest (2002); this exhibit houses five species of amazing Madagascan primates in a huge outdoor forest
• Friend and Taube Entry Village (2002)
• Leaping Lemur Café (2002)
• Split Mound artwork by McCarren/Fine (2002)
• Bronze lion sculptures by Gwynn Murrill (2002)
• Zoo Street and parking (2002)
• Dentzel Carousel (2002)
• African Savanna (2004); giraffe, zebra, kudu, ostrich and other African wildlife roam together in a lush, 3-acre habitat. This dramatic, mixed-species exhibit brings a variety of animals closer to the public than ever before.
• African Savanna Giraffe Feedings (2006)
• Black swan exhibit (2006)
• Binnowee Landing and Feeding (formerly Lorikeet Landing) (2006)
• Kunekune pig exhibit at the Family Farm (formerly the miniature pig exhibit) (2006)
• Hearst Grizzly Gulch exhibit (opened June 14th 2007)

In early 2006, the SF Zoo announced its offer to name a soon-to-hatch American bald eagle after comedian Stephen Colbert. The publicity and goodwill garnered from coverage of the event on the Colbert Report was a windfall for the zoo and the city of San Francisco. Steven Junior was born on April 17, 2006.

Tiger Attacks

In December 2006, a Siberian tiger attacked a zookeeper during a feeding. The keeper was hospitalized for several weeks, and the Lion House was closed for for a total of 10 months. California's Division of Occupation Safety and Health found the zoo liable for the keeper's injuries, fined the zoo, and ordered safety improvements.

On Christmas Day 2007 a Siberian tiger escaped from his pen, went into a nearby cafe, and attacked 3 guests. One was killed at the scene; the other two were taken to a nearby hospital. The tiger was then shot by police officers and died.

Projects

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Play fight

The SF Zoo today takes an active role in Species Survival Plans, conservation programs sponsored by the American Zoo Association. "The Species Survival Plan program began in 1981 as a cooperative population management and conservation program for selected species in zoos and aquariums in North America. Each SSP manages the breeding of a species in order to maintain a healthy and self-sustaining population that is both genetically diverse and demographically stable[2]." SF Zoo currently participates in over 30 SSP programs, working to conserve species ranging from Madagascan radiated tortoises and reticulated giraffes to black rhinos and gorillas [3]. In addition, four of San Francisco Zoo's animal care staff serve as coordinators for national population management plans, acting as genetic advisors in the reproduction and conservation of species including marbled teal (an endangered eastern European duck), caracal (an African wild cat), Eurasian eagle owl (the world's largest owl species), and our own native San Francisco garter Snake (a critically endangered species).

Behind the Scenes - the San Francisco Zoo podcast

The San Francisco Zoo was the first zoo in the nation to produce podcasts, with Behind the Scenes a monthly video podcast. Behind the Scenes is also the first zoo podcast to be offered in full resolution via Vuze.

San Francisco Zoo Twitter

The San Francisco Zoo is the first and currently only zoo to be using the twitter web service. Visitors and members, as well as anyone interested in the San Francisco Zoo, can follow the zoo via twitter.

See also

• 49-Mile Scenic Drive
• San Francisco Municipal Railway

External links

• San Francisco Zoo Official website
• San Francisco Zoo Aerial view at Google Maps
• San Francisco Zoo Aerial view at Microsoft Terraserver
• San Francisco Zoo Podcasts
• San Francisco Zoo Twitter
• American Zoo and Aquarium Association