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San Francisco supervisors press zoo for safety fixes, peer review and financial audit after tiger escape
Summary
After a tiger escaped and was shot on Dec. 25, the Recreation & Parks Department and Zoological Society told supervisors they—ve started emergency repairs, ordered a national peer review of zoo operations and sought a controller—s audit of the Society—s finances; the committee continued oversight pending the review—s public report.
A San Francisco Board of Supervisors committee on Friday pressed city agencies and the Zoological Society to accelerate safety fixes, produce a public peer-review of operations and open the Society—s finances to audit following the Dec. 25 tiger escape that left a visitor and a tiger dead.
Chair Sean Ellsburn convened the Government Audit and Oversight Committee hearing after the Recreation and Park Department confirmed it had issued an emergency order on Dec. 26 to hire contractors and consultants to fortify the zoo—s felid enclosures and improve security.
The department—s general manager, Yomi Agunbiade, told the panel the department—s immediate plan is to raise the concrete moat walls at the Lion and Tiger Grottoes to meet Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) minimum height standards (16 feet 4 inches), add glass viewing areas and wire mesh elsewhere, install physical and electronic deterrents such as hot-wire sections, and stage additional cameras and command-post access for first responders. Agunbiade estimated the near-term retrofit of all four grottoes at about $1 million and said roughly $4 million remained in the zoo—s bond account for capital projects; staff deferred one roofing project to fund the emergency work.
—We moved quickly to respond,— Agunbiade said, describing on-site demolition and steel work under way and an effort to complete the work so animals could resume supervised outdoor access as soon as possible.
Manuel Molinato, the zoo director, described operational changes already in place: an expanded emergency-response team, sirens and locking procedures if an escape is detected, signage discouraging harassment of animals, extended critical-response hours and closer coordination with the city—s police and fire departments. Molinato said staff are using behavioral-enrichment programs and additional back-of-house holding space to maintain animals— welfare while the work proceeds.
The city—s Director of Animal Care and Control, Carl Friedman, said the city and the Zoological Society are assembling a national peer-review panel of experts in containment, emergency response and workplace safety. Friedman said that panel will meet in coming weeks and produce a public report with recommendations —hopefully by March,— which Rec & Park will present to the joint zoo committee and to supervisors.
Supervisor Jake McGoldrick and others urged the department to ensure the panel is independent; some members of the public asked that outside experts beyond those affiliated with the AZA be included.
Supervisor Tom Daly and other supervisors recommended a financial performance and fiscal audit of the Zoological Society by the city—s Controller—s Office. Agunbiade said Rec & Park would schedule a meeting with the Controller—s Office to move that work forward.
The hearing drew more than three hours of public comment. Dozens of docents, volunteers and community members told the committee the zoo provides important education and conservation work and urged continued support for the Society and zoo staff. Other speakers, including animal-welfare advocates, urged deeper scrutiny of the management agreement, stronger city oversight, expanded audits and, in some cases, argued for broader rethinking of keeping large predators in urban zoos.
The committee did not vote on policy at the hearing but continued Item 1 —to the call of the chair— so it can review the peer-review report and the results of any Controller—s audit.
What—s next: Rec & Park will track construction progress and report back; the peer-review panel will deliver a public report of findings and recommendations; the Controller—s Office will be asked to undertake a performance and fiscal audit of the Zoological Society.
Quotes
—We moved quickly to respond,— said Yomi Agunbiade, general manager of the Recreation and Park Department, of the emergency work begun after the Dec. 25 incident.
—This peer review will produce a public report with recommendations as to where we go next,— Friedman said of the industry panel being assembled to examine operational and safety protocols.
Ending
The committee left open multiple follow-ups: verification of construction timelines, the peer-review public report and the outcome of a requested Controller—s Office audit. Supervisors said they will hold a future hearing to review the experts— recommendations and the Society—s fiscal work before taking further formal action.
