SF Zoo Grizzly Bears Cheated of Space, Activists Charge Zoo Saving Land To Bring in New Species 
Animal Protection Group Calls On Zoo To Stop Acquiring New Animals Until Current Animals Adequately Housed
 
San Francisco, CA -- In Defense of Animals (IDA) and Citizens For Cruelty-Free Entertainment (CCFE) are calling on the San Francisco Zoo to immediately expand the space for the grizzly bear exhibit, which is scheduled to open today. The exhibit limits the bears - whose natural range in the wild would be 70 to 400 square miles - to an enclosure of less than ¼ acre. Zoo officials stated this month that it would not give the bears more space, because they are reserving the land next to the bear exhibit for new animals the Zoo intends to acquire. 

"The current 9,500 square foot enclosure is grossly inadequate for these highly intelligent animals who range across large expanses in the wild," said Elliot Katz, DVM, IDA president. "Living in cramped, unnatural spaces can result in stress and psychological trauma - especially in animals as intelligent and wide-ranging as bears." Stressed animals may exhibit stereotypic or neurotic behaviors, such as repeated head bobbing, swaying, pacing, and licking, Katz added. 

"By reserving space to bring in new animals, current
animal-residents at the Zoo are forced to live in more limited spaces," said Deniz Bolbol of CCFE, "The San Francisco Zoo must adopt a policy where the needs of animals currently held at the zoo are met before new animals are acquired." 

Zoo conditions are widely acknowledged as deficient for a number of species of animals at the Zoo, including hippopotamus, sea lion, bears, wild cats and others. Current bear (Kodiak and Polar) residents at the zoo, for example, reside in extremely substandard enclosures, according to a 2000 Performance Audit of the San Francisco Zoo, prepared by the Board of Supervisors Budget Analyst office. Due to the severe confinement, these bears have been documented regularly exhibiting disturbing stereotypic behaviors such as pacing.

Currently the Board of Supervisors is considering an ordinance that would prohibit the Zoo from acquiring and displaying new elephants. Elephants are among the most difficult and expensive of all species to maintain in zoos. Health problems due to lack of space and unnatural environments have plagued the Zoo's elephants: two died earlier this year and the surviving two are slated to go to sanctuaries this month. By ensuring elephants are not brought back to the Zoo, more space and resources will be available to improve living conditions for the animals currently living at the Zoo, the groups said.