San Francisco Zoo Secure Your Barriers! - AZA Keep All Zoos Animals Safe!

Call to Action Tanya Peterson, San Francisco Zoo Director and by Proxy, the San Francisco Zoological Society, San Francisco Recreation and Park, and City of San Francisco, to Add Secure Barriers to All Code Red Animal Exhibits. Floor to Ceiling Glass, creating a Solid Barrier across Entire Exhibit, to prevent Accidental and Voluntary Entry into Exhibits.

Call to Action for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to Review all Exhibit Guidelines that outline Barrier Recommendations and Amend to Require Solid Floor to Ceiling Glass at All Code Red Animal Exhibits, in All AZA Facilities.

I was disgusted to read that Cincinnati Zoo, chose to only slightly raise the height of the Gorilla Exhibit Barrier and add "netting" to prevent a Kid from squeezing through. That, in my opinion only addresses the recent incident, but not the Barrier Abuse Issue Overall, which I know is happening in Zoos everywhere. This does not ensure any other Accidental or Voluntary Entry into that Exhibit, leaving the Animals who live there still Vulnerable to Losing Their Lives. ... This Lack of Preemptive Precaution is a Fail for both the Cincinnati Zoo, who wrote their Staff spent "several days evaluating the Exhibit" REALLY? and the AZA who Obviously Lacks the Sensible and Educated Awareness to Establish Secure Guidelines for Code Red Animal Exhibits.

All Zoos, regardless of current AZA guidelines, need to line their Exhibits with a Solid Barrier, that will prevent access from the Visitor side.

In the Wake of the Tragedy at Cincinnati Zoo, where Harambe Gorilla Lost His Life because of the Negligent Action from a Visitor, I have been forced to put forth this Petition, aimed at my Local Zoo in San Francisco. ... I urge anyone who has been Outraged by Harambe's Death to be a Voice for the Animals at your Local Zoo. This Tragedy can happen anywhere at anytime. I want All Zoo Animals to Be Safe.

I have advocated for years, via several blogs for the Animals at the San Francisco Zoo. On the Subject of Barrier Abuse, I have written posts, posted Videos and Photos, complained to Zoo Staff, nothing has changed. Barriers are Abused continually on a daily basis at the San Francisco Zoo. I feel like Russian Roulette is being played with the Lives of these Innocent Animals, who have no other choice but to act on Instinct and Investigate any foreign object that enters their Home.

The Most Vulnerable is the Black Rhino Exhibit. There is No Secondary Barrier and the Male can come right to the Wall which is low enough for him to look over. There is a constant stream of Visitors Sitting/Standing their Kids on the Barrier Rail, making this Poor Animal Vulnerable to Losing His Life.

The Policy at the San Francisco Zoo, is a Shoot to Kill Order when Any Code Red Animal comes into contact with a Human. It is Not Right that an Animal should lose their Life because of Human Negligence. Zoos need to make sure that doesn't happen. It is their Responsibility to Keep the Animals are in their care Safe.

There are Three types of Barrier Abuse. ... People who continually Sit, Hang, and Stand their Kids on Barrier Rails, Walls and Bars. Accidents happen and no one is immune. Although I have spoke to some who think they are. Anyone can lose grip, either on their own, or by being bumped into by someone else not paying attention. ... People who don't watch their Children, who can easily escape and obviously enter an Animal Enclosure on their own. It happened in Cincinnati. ... People for whatever reason enter an Enclosure Voluntarily.

In 2009, a Man entered the Grizzly Bear Enclosure at the San Francisco Zoo. Thankfully the Grizzly Bears didn't initiate any aggressive behavior toward him, and went inside when called. They had Rifles aimed at them. One off action and those two Bears would have been Shot Dead, because this guy decided to enter on his own. This was Two Years after the Zoo's Tiger Escape, to which the Zoo enclosed all four of the Big Cat Exhibits in Floor to Ceiling Glass. This Solid Barrier prevents Human from getting in and Animal from getting out. Why was this Not done for the other Code Red Animals? This would have Protected the Grizzly Bears from even being Vulnerable. That Upgrade showed that the San Francisco Zoo Knows this is the only way to Safeguard both Animals and Humans.

The Barriers at the Black Rhino and Hippo are the most Abused in the Zoo. Followed by the Polar Bear. All Three of these Exhibits, in addition to Grizzly Bears, One Horned Rhino and Chimpanzees, are All Animals On Zoo Shoot to Kill List, if there is Animal to Human Contact. Only the Hippo and One Horned Rhino have Secondary Barriers and even those might only prevent accidental entry.

Since the Cincinnati Zoo Tragedy additional Barriers have been added to Chimps, which might prevent most accidental entry. One side Solid, the other side only a short Secondary Barrier. ... No Additional Signage anywhere in the Zoo.

I Call to Action the San Francisco Zoo to add Floor to Ceiling Glass at All Code Red Animal Exhibits. Anything less is Negligent on their Responsibility to the Animals in their Care.

Until these Upgrades can be made, Temporary Second Barriers Need to be installed ASAP.

Additional Signs at Each Exhibit, at least Every Six Feet, that state clearly, Do Not Sit or Stand on Railings & (separate) Do Not to Cross Barriers.

Protocol Needs to be Amended. While I know Humans are the Priority, if there are Solid Barriers, and someone ends up in an Exhibit, THAT is No Accident and No Animal should Lose their Life.

I have detailed the Barrier Issues on my Blog, which includes Video links. ... I urge anyone reading this to take photos at San Francisco Zoo and any other Zoo, documenting this Offense. Post these photos to the Facebook Pages of the Zoos and Call for Action. Let's Save these Innocent Animals from Negligent Humans.

For more Commentary, Photos, Videos and Contact information for those with Authority over the San Francisco Zoo, you can Visit my Blog or Facebook Page, San Francisco Zoo UnCensored.

Thank You.