My review of the zoo, with the rest of my trip report, can be seen here, where the text excerpts are pasted from.
San Francisco Zoo - July 5th, 2024
“I’m not here to make a case for the San Francisco Zoo. It’s about as mediocre as mediocre can get for a large zoo, if you can even call it that. I enjoyed my visit, but it was apparent that there’s much the zoo needs to update (or is taking a hell of a long time to).
Looking through ZooChat or elsewhere can show you the highlights of San Francisco’s issues. And boy, are there lots. Nevertheless, I won’t be unnecessarily harsh here. After all, I did have a good time.
Walking into the zoo accompanied by a coastal breeze and the smell of the sea while grey clouds loomed above was pleasant. I enjoyed the cool weather during my week in California, as it’s been incredibly hot and humid back home these past few summers. In fact, I never even realized how unbearable my home climate was until I experienced how amazing it was to be in a pleasant one. And mind you, this was in the midst of a California heat wave.”
Exploration Zone:
Yosemite Toad
Black-Tailed Prairie Dog
Meerkat
Eurasian Eagle Owl
Moroccan Uromastyx
Common Chuckwalla
Agassiz’s Desert Tortoise
Domestic Rabbit
Guinea Pig
Turkey Vulture
Domestic Goat
Domestic Donkey
Domestic Horse
Hyacinth Macaw
Salvin’s Amazon
Red-Rumped Agouti
Western Pond Turtle
Red-Eared Slider
Northern Red-Bellied Turtle
Florida Red-Bellied Cooter
Water Strider
Giant Water Bug
Madagascar Hissing Cockroach
American Cockroach
Giant Wood Roach
Domino Cockroach
Sun Beetle
Pipevine Swallowtail
Dead Leaf Mantis
Tropical Huntsman
Twospot Assassin Bug
Spiny Stick Insect
Thorny Devil
Giant Thorny Phasmid
Western Black Widow
Togo Starburst Tarantula
Mastigoproctus giganteus
Clibanarius vittatus
Colombian Giant Redleg Tarantula
Trinidad Chevron Tarantula
Venezuelan Suntiger
Caribbean Hermit Crab
Red Harvester Ant
Death Feigning Beetle
Wolf Spider
Darkling Beetle
Desert Hairy Scorpion
Dairy Cow Isopod
Giant African Millipede
Giant Pacific Centipede
Litter Beetle
Red Panda
Outback Trail:
Southern Cassowary
Emu
Wallaroo
Koala
California Conservation Center:
Yellow-Rumped Cacique
Yellow-Headed Amazon
Green-Winged Macaw
Bali Myna
Satyr Tragopan
Temminck’s Tragopan
California Tiger Salamander
California Red-Legged Frog
Axolotl
Chilean Flamingo
“After finishing Bear Country, I made it to the South American house right before it closed at 4. Small for your standard tropical house (or not, I’m just used to the bigger dome-style buildings) with a pretty decent array of birds (highlight being blue-headed macaw, though I missed those). Saw my first curl-crested aracari, but other than that I rushed my way past the herps (I was a little zoo-fatigued at this point after going to the Academy and now the zoo).”
South America:
Linneaus’ Two-Toed Sloth
Salvin’s Amazon
Emerald Tree Boa
Boa Constrictor
Guatemalan Spiny-Tailed Iguana
Green Jay
Blue-Winged Teal
Curl-Crested Aracari
Blue-Headed Macaw
Crested Oropendol
Roseate Spoonbill
White Ibis
Golden Conure
Black-Faced Ibis
Amazon Tree Boa
Red-Footed Tortoise
Fulvous Whistling Duck
Ruddy Duck
Smoky Jungle Frog
Dyeing Poison Dart Frog
Red-Eyed Tree Frog
Amazon Milk Frog
Green and Black Poison Dart Frog
Golfodulcean Poison Dart Frog
Giant Anteater
Gray Fox
Giant Anteater
Black-Necked Swan
Baird’s Tapir
Andean Condor
Spectacled Owl
Therapy Horses:
Domestic Horse
“Bear Country, nothing special to comment on here. I liked seeing hoofstock as always (Przewalski’s horse and peccaries), thought the pelican pond was nice. I didn’t think the grizzly bear exhibit was half bad either really.”
Bear Country:
Przewalski’s Horse
Chacoan Peccary
White Pelican
Grizzly Bear
Mexican Grey Wolf
American Black Bear
“Cat Kingdom was where I really got to see how…interesting San Francisco got. It’s an odd mix of species. A nice mix, lots of species that I love and were glad to see, but definitely wasn’t a mix of purely cats! They’ve got a good few of the big cats— snow leopard, jaguar, lion (and formerly, tiger…). But here, you can also find Indian rhinos, bongos, black rhinos, Pygmy hippos, and penguins! Penguins! Maybe I’m the only one thinking this way, but the design of the exhibit and its placement as a rectangular pool smack dab in the middle of a plaza directly across from ocelots and Indian rhinos was so incredibly amusing to me. I did enjoy the inclusion of pachyderms in Cat Kingdom, but that’s just my bias for one of my favorite groups of animals
.”
Cat Kingdom:
Wolverine
Komodo Dragon
Indian Rhino
Magellanic Penguin
Ocelot
African Lion
Bongo
Pygmy Hippo
Eastern Black Rhino
Snow Leopard
Jaguar
“Lemur Forest! This was the highlight of my visit, and probably the only thing San Francisco had that attracted me to them over, say, Oakland. To elaborate on that, since I know snowleopard mentioned it earlier, I really did try to fit in Oakland as well with an early flight on Friday…but flight prices changed and that couldn’t happen, so Oakland was cut from the itinerary. But yes, the last red-bellied lemur in the U.S.! I’d heard that he would be hard to see, however, so I kept my hopes down. By the time I made it past the main lemur exhibits and to the sifaka enclosure, I got to talking to a keeper about their sifakas. The conversation led to me asking her what time their red-bellied lemur liked to be out on exhibit, and she told me that if he decided to (which is rarely) it would happen a bit after feeding (around 4:30 or so). Coincidentally, she was about to go feed him and left for that, after telling me she was shocked by my interest in the animals, especially with me not being a local, since most visitors wouldn’t think to ask such a question. I thanked her for her help and went about my way. After a few steps, she called me back and offered to take me back with her while she fed Eno (the lemur’s name)! This was so unexpected, but such an exciting opportunity so I obviously could not pass it up. We went under the elevated walkway and into an off-show hallway. There, I was able to see Eno and the zoo’s two red-fronted brown lemurs. She told me that these were their oldest lemurs and that they’d been there for decades— as long as she’s been working there! But after a quick visit, she led me out and we both went about our business. Unforgettable experience, really made a good day a great one.”
Lemur Forest:
Blue-Eyed Black Lemur
Red-Bellied Lemur
Crowned Lemur
Red-Fronted Brown Lemur
Black and White Ruffed Lemur
Red Ruffed Lemur
Ring-Tailed Lemur
Fossa
Northern Spider Tortoise
Dumeril’s Ground Boa
Kinkajou
Mandrill
Francois’ Langur
Great Ape Passage-
Chimpanzee
Bornean Orangutan
“From outside the zoo, there’s a viewing into the zebra/ostrich yard in the African Region, which I found a nice touch. The African Region as a whole I remember to be nice. Exhibit sizes were adequate, and the theming/foliage around the paths and enclosures were aesthetically pleasing and well-placed. The aviary in the African Region was my highlight. Though I didn’t see the African openbill, there was an even better surprise in the form of a Madagascar crested ibis, which was unsigned and thus unexpected. I’d wished to see this species at Omaha back in June, but missed my chance due to renovations/closures throughout the Madagascar exhibit.”
African Region:
Plains Zebra
Ostrich
Ostrich
Reticulated Giraffe
Sacred Ibis
East African Crowned Crane
Marbled Teal
African Openbill Stork
Waldrapp Ibis
West African Crowned Crane
Hamerkop
Madagascar Crested Ibis
Temminck’s Tragopan
Satyr Tragopan
Western Lowland Gorilla
Free-Roaming:
Indian Peafowl
San Francisco Zoo - July 5th, 2024
“I’m not here to make a case for the San Francisco Zoo. It’s about as mediocre as mediocre can get for a large zoo, if you can even call it that. I enjoyed my visit, but it was apparent that there’s much the zoo needs to update (or is taking a hell of a long time to).
Looking through ZooChat or elsewhere can show you the highlights of San Francisco’s issues. And boy, are there lots. Nevertheless, I won’t be unnecessarily harsh here. After all, I did have a good time.
Walking into the zoo accompanied by a coastal breeze and the smell of the sea while grey clouds loomed above was pleasant. I enjoyed the cool weather during my week in California, as it’s been incredibly hot and humid back home these past few summers. In fact, I never even realized how unbearable my home climate was until I experienced how amazing it was to be in a pleasant one. And mind you, this was in the midst of a California heat wave.”
Exploration Zone:
Yosemite Toad
Black-Tailed Prairie Dog
Meerkat
Eurasian Eagle Owl
Moroccan Uromastyx
Common Chuckwalla
Agassiz’s Desert Tortoise
Domestic Rabbit
Guinea Pig
Turkey Vulture
Domestic Goat
Domestic Donkey
Domestic Horse
Hyacinth Macaw
Salvin’s Amazon
Red-Rumped Agouti
Western Pond Turtle
Red-Eared Slider
Northern Red-Bellied Turtle
Florida Red-Bellied Cooter
Water Strider
Giant Water Bug
Madagascar Hissing Cockroach
American Cockroach
Giant Wood Roach
Domino Cockroach
Sun Beetle
Pipevine Swallowtail
Dead Leaf Mantis
Tropical Huntsman
Twospot Assassin Bug
Spiny Stick Insect
Thorny Devil
Giant Thorny Phasmid
Western Black Widow
Togo Starburst Tarantula
Mastigoproctus giganteus
Clibanarius vittatus
Colombian Giant Redleg Tarantula
Trinidad Chevron Tarantula
Venezuelan Suntiger
Caribbean Hermit Crab
Red Harvester Ant
Death Feigning Beetle
Wolf Spider
Darkling Beetle
Desert Hairy Scorpion
Dairy Cow Isopod
Giant African Millipede
Giant Pacific Centipede
Litter Beetle
Red Panda
Outback Trail:
Southern Cassowary
Emu
Wallaroo
Koala
California Conservation Center:
Yellow-Rumped Cacique
Yellow-Headed Amazon
Green-Winged Macaw
Bali Myna
Satyr Tragopan
Temminck’s Tragopan
California Tiger Salamander
California Red-Legged Frog
Axolotl
Chilean Flamingo
“After finishing Bear Country, I made it to the South American house right before it closed at 4. Small for your standard tropical house (or not, I’m just used to the bigger dome-style buildings) with a pretty decent array of birds (highlight being blue-headed macaw, though I missed those). Saw my first curl-crested aracari, but other than that I rushed my way past the herps (I was a little zoo-fatigued at this point after going to the Academy and now the zoo).”
South America:
Linneaus’ Two-Toed Sloth
Salvin’s Amazon
Emerald Tree Boa
Boa Constrictor
Guatemalan Spiny-Tailed Iguana
Green Jay
Blue-Winged Teal
Curl-Crested Aracari
Blue-Headed Macaw
Crested Oropendol
Roseate Spoonbill
White Ibis
Golden Conure
Black-Faced Ibis
Amazon Tree Boa
Red-Footed Tortoise
Fulvous Whistling Duck
Ruddy Duck
Smoky Jungle Frog
Dyeing Poison Dart Frog
Red-Eyed Tree Frog
Amazon Milk Frog
Green and Black Poison Dart Frog
Golfodulcean Poison Dart Frog
Giant Anteater
Gray Fox
Giant Anteater
Black-Necked Swan
Baird’s Tapir
Andean Condor
Spectacled Owl
Therapy Horses:
Domestic Horse
“Bear Country, nothing special to comment on here. I liked seeing hoofstock as always (Przewalski’s horse and peccaries), thought the pelican pond was nice. I didn’t think the grizzly bear exhibit was half bad either really.”
Bear Country:
Przewalski’s Horse
Chacoan Peccary
White Pelican
Grizzly Bear
Mexican Grey Wolf
American Black Bear
“Cat Kingdom was where I really got to see how…interesting San Francisco got. It’s an odd mix of species. A nice mix, lots of species that I love and were glad to see, but definitely wasn’t a mix of purely cats! They’ve got a good few of the big cats— snow leopard, jaguar, lion (and formerly, tiger…). But here, you can also find Indian rhinos, bongos, black rhinos, Pygmy hippos, and penguins! Penguins! Maybe I’m the only one thinking this way, but the design of the exhibit and its placement as a rectangular pool smack dab in the middle of a plaza directly across from ocelots and Indian rhinos was so incredibly amusing to me. I did enjoy the inclusion of pachyderms in Cat Kingdom, but that’s just my bias for one of my favorite groups of animals
.”Cat Kingdom:
Wolverine
Komodo Dragon
Indian Rhino
Magellanic Penguin
Ocelot
African Lion
Bongo
Pygmy Hippo
Eastern Black Rhino
Snow Leopard
Jaguar
“Lemur Forest! This was the highlight of my visit, and probably the only thing San Francisco had that attracted me to them over, say, Oakland. To elaborate on that, since I know snowleopard mentioned it earlier, I really did try to fit in Oakland as well with an early flight on Friday…but flight prices changed and that couldn’t happen, so Oakland was cut from the itinerary. But yes, the last red-bellied lemur in the U.S.! I’d heard that he would be hard to see, however, so I kept my hopes down. By the time I made it past the main lemur exhibits and to the sifaka enclosure, I got to talking to a keeper about their sifakas. The conversation led to me asking her what time their red-bellied lemur liked to be out on exhibit, and she told me that if he decided to (which is rarely) it would happen a bit after feeding (around 4:30 or so). Coincidentally, she was about to go feed him and left for that, after telling me she was shocked by my interest in the animals, especially with me not being a local, since most visitors wouldn’t think to ask such a question. I thanked her for her help and went about my way. After a few steps, she called me back and offered to take me back with her while she fed Eno (the lemur’s name)! This was so unexpected, but such an exciting opportunity so I obviously could not pass it up. We went under the elevated walkway and into an off-show hallway. There, I was able to see Eno and the zoo’s two red-fronted brown lemurs. She told me that these were their oldest lemurs and that they’d been there for decades— as long as she’s been working there! But after a quick visit, she led me out and we both went about our business. Unforgettable experience, really made a good day a great one.”
Lemur Forest:
Blue-Eyed Black Lemur
Red-Bellied Lemur
Crowned Lemur
Red-Fronted Brown Lemur
Black and White Ruffed Lemur
Red Ruffed Lemur
Ring-Tailed Lemur
Fossa
Northern Spider Tortoise
Dumeril’s Ground Boa
Kinkajou
Mandrill
Francois’ Langur
Great Ape Passage-
Chimpanzee
Bornean Orangutan
“From outside the zoo, there’s a viewing into the zebra/ostrich yard in the African Region, which I found a nice touch. The African Region as a whole I remember to be nice. Exhibit sizes were adequate, and the theming/foliage around the paths and enclosures were aesthetically pleasing and well-placed. The aviary in the African Region was my highlight. Though I didn’t see the African openbill, there was an even better surprise in the form of a Madagascar crested ibis, which was unsigned and thus unexpected. I’d wished to see this species at Omaha back in June, but missed my chance due to renovations/closures throughout the Madagascar exhibit.”
African Region:
Plains Zebra
Ostrich
Ostrich
Reticulated Giraffe
Sacred Ibis
East African Crowned Crane
Marbled Teal
African Openbill Stork
Waldrapp Ibis
West African Crowned Crane
Hamerkop
Madagascar Crested Ibis
Temminck’s Tragopan
Satyr Tragopan
Western Lowland Gorilla
Free-Roaming:
Indian Peafowl
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