The fact that the San Francisco Zoo has had its fair share of negative publicity in recent years makes me sad.  This is my hometown zoo.  The zoo I grew up on.  The zoo against which all other zoos were measured.

I was recently invited to watch The March of the Penguins, an annual members-only event in which penguin chicks from the zoo’s successful Magellanic breeding program sweetly waddle through the zoo grounds to their new home on Penguin Island.

Afterward I had a look around.  I found plenty of reasons to love this zoo, and picked up a membership application on my way out.  Here are the top seven:

1.  They have baby penguins, which are the barometer of cute

One of these babies wasn’t so sure about jumping in the water, so a zookeeper in hip waders demonstrated while the rest of the zookeepers looked on like proud parents.  It was all very adorable.

2.  …and the world’s funniest primates

Although they look like they were plucked straight from the whimsical  imagination of Dr. Seuss, Emporer Tamarins are tough little primates.  They are also very modern parents: the father and older offspring carry the newborn babies around all day, only passing them to mom every 2-3 hours for feeding.  Sounds good.  Where do I sign up?

3.  They have two of the planet’s most photogenic Grizzly Bears

Is there any question as to why teddy bears are such an enduring symbol of love and cuddliness?  I thought not.  Also (and this should go without saying, but apparently it doesn’t): Look, but don’t touch.

4. …and a Pygmy Donkey (which you can’t feed)

You can feed almost all the animals in the children’s zoo with the exception of this poor starving donkey.  That’s probably why he tried to eat my camera.

5.  The squirrels, however, just help themselves

If you leave snacks in your stroller, you and your kids are going to get some serious squirrel cooties.  When we visited, 10 out of 10 parked strollers were being ransacked by squirrels.  Consider yourself warned.

6.  They have a gorgeous Black Rhino

Sadly only about 3,000 rare and beautiful black rhinos exist today–they are nearsighted, irritable, and extremely uglycute.  In the wild, many of them have to be protected by armed guards.

7.  …and the largest bald eagle captive breeding and release program in the country

Aren’t eagles regal, patriotic, and awe-inspiring?    I find myself tearing up every time I see one—even in captivity.  Heck, especially in captivity.  The eagles on display are rescued, and incapable of being returned to the wild.

November 17th, 2009 | by Jamie Pearson 11 comments