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Thursday, December 27, 2007

The AZA Goes Into Damage Control Mode

"AZA-accredited zoos are safe. Until this incident, there had not been a visitor fatality resulting from an animal escape at an AZA-accredited zoo."

Yes, this is true. HOWEVER, they fail to mention the Keeper Staff Deaths possibly in the hundreds. Zoo's are in fact to be designed to keep the public safe, duh. However, look at what happened in Salisbury with the Jaguar. Both Bears got out at one point where the current interim Director used carrots to walk Chumley back into his Exhibit. The male Bison got out of his Exhibit because a Zookeeper didn't have the pin on properly on one of the gates and he simply pushed his way through and got out. Everyone had gone to lunch at the Zoo and some lady and a child in a stroller came up to the Office and told the Staff the Bison had escaped.

So the AZA can go pound their chest all they want, it's HUMAN ERROR that causes these severe problems at a Zoo and to think the Salisbury Zoo is WINGING it and the chances of error grow much stronger without a consistent and professional Staff.

"The San Francisco Zoo is a great zoo, it's an accredited AZA member in good standing, and it has our support during this difficult time." Yeah, that's what you'd expect from the AZA when someone is current on their dues.

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