San Francisco Zoo Embroiled in Controversy
SAN FRANCISCO — As this city's zoo prepares to send its last two elephants into retirement at a California wild animal sanctuary, a trade group that represents North American zoos and theme parks is threatening to pull the zoo's accreditation.
Shortly after zoo Director Manuel Mollinedo decided in June to send the two pachyderms to the sanctuary in the Sierra foothills, the American Zoo and Aquarium Assn. said that it "fundamentally disagreed" with how the decision was made and that it would "vigorously enforce our professional ethics and accreditation standards."
In a statement sent to San Francisco officials in June, association Executive Director Sydney Butler said Mollinedo's decision raised "serious ethical and accreditation concerns" because the zoo director ordered the elephants moved without allowing the association's "species survival plan" committee to review the decision and perhaps order city officials to send the animals to another accredited zoo or animal park.
If the San Francisco Zoo loses its accreditation, it would be barred from sending animals to or receiving them from other accredited zoos across the country, said Nancy Chan, a zoo spokeswoman.
Butler suggested in his statement that political pressure from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, supported by animal rights activists, might have prevented Mollinedo from making an "independent" decision regarding the elephants.
Mollinedo, former head of the Los Angeles Zoo, and his predecessors at the San Francisco Zoo have been strongly criticized for years by animal rights activists for keeping elephants in a small, antiquated enclosure.
The controversy intensified after the zoo lost two of its elephants earlier this year, one dying unexpectedly and the other being euthanized because of severe health problems.
Chan in effect agreed with the zoo association's conclusion, saying that Mollinedo decided to send the remaining elephants to a sanctuary because of pressure to do so from elected city officials. "We had to do what the community wanted," she said.
Later this month, at a regular zoo association meeting in New Orleans, Mollinedo will try to head off any further moves to disaccredit the zoo, Chan said. Mollinedo could not be reached for comment.
The two surviving pachyderms at the San Francisco Zoo are expected to be moved this month to the 2,300-acre Performing Animal Welfare Society sanctuary in Calaveras County.
