San Francisco Zoo San Francisco Zoo News 2025

Chimpangeek said:
I believe the Yosemite Toads can still be viewed at the California Conservation Corridor, across from the Koalas and near Ape passage.
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splendens said:
Last visit I didn't see any toads but their exhibit is near the entrance of the children's zoo section.
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They were indeed near the entrance to the children's zoo, and I was able to see them :)

No Red-bellied Lemur unfortunately; in fact the only lemurs I saw were the three common ones and the sifakas, which I only got on a re-check. None of the rarer lemurs made an appearance in the 3 times I checked the exhibit.

Some other questions:
- Does anyone know what used to be in that small grotto exhibit between the two savanna yards, next to the tunnel and central viewing area?
- The Long-tailed Glossy Starling that supposedly lives in the African aviary was neither seen nor signed.
- The website says a Temminck's Tragopan lives in the aviary by the koalas and a Satyr Tragopan lives in the African aviary, can anyone confirm if that's the case? Both species are signed for both, but I only saw one in the first aviary and they are very similar-looking species.
- Is there no longer access into the Lion House? The front doors had signs saying "Employees Only". If I somehow missed the actual entry, what animals are in there?
- Do the Giant Anteater(s) ever share the big exhibit with the tapir, or are they relegated only to the much smaller one I saw them in and where the signage is?
 
Coelacanth18 said:
Does anyone know what used to be in that small grotto exhibit between the two savanna yards, next to the tunnel and central viewing area?
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That used to be a hide that held duiker I believe.
Coelacanth18 said:
Is there no longer access into the Lion House? The front doors had signs saying "Employees Only". If I somehow missed the actual entry, what animals are in there?
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No the lion house has been closed for a few years(?). There shouldn’t be any animals exclusively found inside, they all have outdoor exhibits.
 
Coelacanth18 said:
They were indeed near the entrance to the children's zoo, and I was able to see them :)

No Red-bellied Lemur unfortunately; in fact the only lemurs I saw were the three common ones and the sifakas, which I only got on a re-check. None of the rarer lemurs made an appearance in the 3 times I checked the exhibit.

Some other questions:
- Does anyone know what used to be in that small grotto exhibit between the two savanna yards, next to the tunnel and central viewing area?
- The Long-tailed Glossy Starling that supposedly lives in the African aviary was neither seen nor signed.
- The website says a Temminck's Tragopan lives in the aviary by the koalas and a Satyr Tragopan lives in the African aviary, can anyone confirm if that's the case? Both species are signed for both, but I only saw one in the first aviary and they are very similar-looking species.
- Is there no longer access into the Lion House? The front doors had signs saying "Employees Only". If I somehow missed the actual entry, what animals are in there?
- Do the Giant Anteater(s) ever share the big exhibit with the tapir, or are they relegated only to the much smaller one I saw them in and where the signage is?
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Nice to hear that you saw the toads! There is entry for the lion house though not through the main doors near the ocelot if I remember correctly, if you walk a loop around the building you'll find it. The interior has mostly been cordoned off, the only visible exhibits are a single indoor lion cage, and an enclosure which is split into two parts, a front and back by mesh. The front contains curl-crested aracari and box turtles (should be Eastern box turtle Terrapene carolina carolina?) The back contains blue-throated macaws.
The zoo does contain the tragopan species in the aviaries listed.
Not sure on the giant anteater part, but hopefully they do as that exhibit is pretty puny.
 
Zoo-Lover-1-2-3 said:
The zoo has announced that Lamont the jaguar has passed away after suffering from mobility issues due to something called slipped disc.

heres the link: Facebook

May he rest in peace.
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His name prior to arriving at SF was Tikal, for anyone who knew him from elsewhere.

I guess this saves them building a new Jaguar exhibit over by the rainforest building, but it does also drop them another megafauna species during this tumultuous time. Going to be interesting to see what happens with that area.
 
Coelacanth18 said:
They were indeed near the entrance to the children's zoo, and I was able to see them :)

No Red-bellied Lemur unfortunately; in fact the only lemurs I saw were the three common ones and the sifakas, which I only got on a re-check. None of the rarer lemurs made an appearance in the 3 times I checked the exhibit.

Some other questions:
- Does anyone know what used to be in that small grotto exhibit between the two savanna yards, next to the tunnel and central viewing area?
- The Long-tailed Glossy Starling that supposedly lives in the African aviary was neither seen nor signed.
- The website says a Temminck's Tragopan lives in the aviary by the koalas and a Satyr Tragopan lives in the African aviary, can anyone confirm if that's the case? Both species are signed for both, but I only saw one in the first aviary and they are very similar-looking species.
- Is there no longer access into the Lion House? The front doors had signs saying "Employees Only". If I somehow missed the actual entry, what animals are in there?
- Do the Giant Anteater(s) ever share the big exhibit with the tapir, or are they relegated only to the much smaller one I saw them in and where the signage is?
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1. Ever since the Savannah exhibit opened, that space has gone unused (which is a shame). I think it would be a perfect space for Hyrax, if they add in some boulders and better fencing/barriers
2. The Glossy Starling's been been gone for a while
3. Not sure
4. Only a small portion of the lion house is open to the public. The entrance is right near the snow leopard exhibit.
5. The Anteater and Tapir are never in the big habitat at the same time. The zoo does occasionally give the anteater access to the big yard, but not regularly.
 
Great Argus said:
His name prior to arriving at SF was Tikal, for anyone who knew him from elsewhere.

I guess this saves them building a new Jaguar exhibit over by the rainforest building, but it does also drop them another megafauna species during this tumultuous time. Going to be interesting to see what happens with that area.
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Filling in the sea lion pool was a huge mistake. The zoo could have used that pool for Alligators, as they currently have no other Crocodilian species on exhibit.
With some renovations (especially with the fencing/barriers) that exhibit could be used as a new space for the wolverines or Galapagos Tortoises. Or- with netting over the top, they could still utilize it for a cat species, like the zoos current Ocelot. They could move ahead with similar plans that they had for the jaguar and make it for Mountain Lions.
As for the second habitat at the Lion House, the Zoo should bring back Tigers
 
Chimpangeek said:
It's basically done. I'm sure the Tortoises will be moved in in the next week.
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I am happy that they now actually finished an exhibit! Is the exhibit just for radiated tortoises? Any more information on them .... like how large the group is currently?
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
I am happy that they now actually finished an exhibit! Is the exhibit just for radiated tortoises? Any more information on them .... like how large the group is currently?
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There's just two. I'm still shocked that the Aldabra Tortoises aren't being housed there. Knowing how dysfunctional the zoo is (especially with its new projects) I bet it probably was intended for the Aldabras, but there were too many design flaws to be able to accommodate them as they get bigger.
But of course, it's part of the larger problem of the zoo having fluid plans for everything. I don't even think the zoo leadership knows what the finished result of the "Madagascar Center" will be, as the plans continually change and get scaled back, thanks to the significant amount of $$$ the zoo wasted building the massive artificial baobab tree.
 
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In other news, the zoo is apparently going to be rehoming their remaining three chimps. Not sure where... Good new for the Orangutans though, as they'll have the whole area to themselves. The zoo also needs to get around to rehoming the Francois Langurs and Condor, since it's obvious that neither will have an adequate exhibit built for them in the near future.
 
Chimpangeek said:
In other news, the zoo is apparently going to be rehoming their remaining three chimps. Not sure where... Good new for the Orangutans though, as they'll have the whole area to themselves. The zoo also needs to get around to rehoming the Francois Langurs and Condor, since it's obvious that neither will have an adequate exhibit built for them in the near future.
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This piece of news really makes me sad. I thought management wise it could not get much worse! I do hope the zoo can make a turn around under new management...????
 
Cassandra Costello, who stepped in as interim co-CEO this summer following the retirement of longtime director Tanya Peterson, seems to be leading a turnaround. Costello has prioritized transparency, collaboration, and staff morale. Her arrival coincided with the release of $3 million in previously withheld city funding, renewed engagement with the employees’ union, and improved communication with the Zoo’s board. By most accounts, morale has improved significantly, and both union representatives and city officials have praised Costello’s more open, hands-on leadership style.

Looking ahead, the Zoo still hopes to realize its long-discussed plan to bring giant pandas to San Francisco. This project was initiated under former Mayor London Breed but has been delayed (the giant pandas were initially planned to make their debut by the end of this year). As previously discussed here, the proposed habitat would occupy renovated space in the Lion House. The city has already approved permits for the renovation, though the timeline and funding remain uncertain.

In the meantime, the zoo continues to emphasize conservation and education. It recently opened Under the Canopy, an exhibit highlighting climate change impacts on the Amazon, and has partnered with Duke University to house a breeding pair of critically endangered blue-eyed black lemurs behind the scenes.

One could hope that after several difficult years, this marks the beginning of a genuine comeback for one of California’s oldest zoological institutions.
 
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ANGIE the female Mandrill has passed away at the very respectable age of 35.
San Francisco Zoo on Instagram: "We are sad to report that our beloved Angie passed away this week, after it was determined that her quality of life had deteriorated significantly. Results from a necropsy are pending. At the time of her passing, Angie was the oldest female mandrill in a North American accredited zoo; we recently celebrated her 35th birthday alongside the other members of her troop, where she enjoyed many of her favorite treats. She could be identified by her large cheek pouches, which she used to store her forage to enjoy later on. Angie was born at the Tulsa Zoo in 1990, and came to us from the San Diego Zoo over 10 years ago. She was a favorite among staff, as she was very sweet and gentle. As an older animal, she received increased geriatric care as she aged. Though she was not one of the troop’s breeders, she was present for the births of three infants, and for many years, was close to Dora, now the oldest female mandrill in zoos, and male Kiburi. Mandrills typically live around 20 years in the wild, and into their 30s under human care. She will be missed by all. #sfzoo #mandrill #rip"
 
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