SF Zoo unsuited to host giant pandas, report finds
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A lemur at the San Francisco Zoo, which is under scrutiny for its conditions. Photo: Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
A new report from the San Francisco Animal Control and Welfare Commission alleges the San Francisco Zoo is "dilapidated," "extremely outdated" and "in a poor position" to host the highly anticipated giant pandas.
Why it matters: The zoo, owned by the city but operated by the nonprofit San Francisco Zoological Society, has come under scrutiny since Mayor London Breed announced it will house giant pandas as part of a deal with China.
What they're saying: While the zoo meets accreditation standards issued by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums licensing authority, many of its enclosures "fail to meet the criteria ... from an animal welfare perspective," the advisory commission wrote in its 11-page report.
- Some animals have been housed in temporary facilities for years amid ongoing construction, according to the report, which noted the langurs live in an "old concrete chain-link box" and the gorilla habitat moat area gets backed up with water.
- "The arrival of the giant pandas would make the already poor situation of the current animals living at the zoo even worse."
Zoom in: The report also alleges that the zoo plans to put the pandas in night quarters within sight and smell of African lions, which it called "totally inappropriate."
- If the zoo can't afford to "shelter the current residents well and build a panda house properly … there's no reason to import pandas and allow them to suffer from the zoo's substandard conditions," the report states.
The other side: Vitus Leung, deputy director at the zoo, told Axios via email that the report contains "serious inaccuracies" and "was created based on a hypothetical scenario" in collaboration with animal rights activists.
- "Nevertheless, our animal care experts will thoroughly review the report and provide a thoughtful response at a later date."
- Breed says she agrees the zoo "is in need of revitalization" but believes bringing a global attraction like the pandas will help "expedite and invest in improvements," spokesperson Parisa Safarzadeh told Axios via text.
What's next: The commission, which serves as an advisory board to the city, voted unanimously Thursday night to support the report's recommendations, which include a performance audit of the zoo by the Board of Supervisors.