Zoos and Conservation: A Critical Examination

At the San Francisco Zoo, the kangaroo pen lacks running water, the gorilla habitat area floods during heavy rainfall and the jaguars are depressed and live in an old concrete chain-link box. That’s according to a new report by the San Francisco Animal Control and Welfare Commission, which describes the 95-year-old facility as “extremely outdated” and “unsafe for visitors and animals.” The commission is now urging the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to require a performance audit of the zoo. We’ll discuss the report and talk to experts about what makes a zoo safe and humane for animals, zookeepers and visitors.

Guests:

Tara Duggan, reporter, SF Chronicle

Justin Barker, local animal rights activist who contributed to the city’s report

Joel Parrott, former director, Oakland Zoo

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