SAN FRANCISCO (July 1, 2025) — Animal protection groups are celebrating the long-awaited resignation of Tanya Peterson as CEO and Executive Director of the San Francisco Zoo, and urging swift, bold action to reform the embattled institution. In Defense of Animals, SF Zoo Watch, and Panda Voices are applauding this long-overdue change and thank Mayor Daniel Lurie for his leadership in rooting out corruption and opening the door to transformative change. Peterson’s resignation paves the way for a bold new vision: a rescue-forward, sanctuary-style ecopark that reflects San Francisco’s progressive and compassionate values.

“This is a huge win for the animals and staff of the San Francisco Zoo — and a historic turning point for a city that prides itself on compassion and progressive values,” said Fleur Dawes, Communications Director at In Defense of Animals. “We are deeply grateful to everyone who raised their voices for reform, and to Mayor Lurie for his courageous intervention. Tanya Peterson’s departure opens the door for the zoo to become a national model of ethical, rescue-centered animal care and education — one that reflects San Francisco’s culture and respects the animals in its care.”

Peterson’s resignation comes after nearly two decades of failed leadership marked by a series of preventable animal deaths, persistent transparency violations, chronic understaffing, crumbling infrastructure, and a culture of mismanagement. Recent inspections revealed primates confined in barren concrete boxes, giraffes pacing on compacted hardpan, and chimpanzees still housed in a 1980s-era grotto that fails to meet modern welfare standards. City officials and independent experts have repeatedly called these conditions unacceptable — even inhumane.

Staff morale has plummeted, whistleblowers were ignored, and city agencies were stonewalled. The tipping point came on May 8, when the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force ruled that the zoo had been illegally withholding public records, confirming years of concerns about a systemic lack of transparency and accountability.

“We thank Mayor Lurie for listening to the public, enforcing accountability, and helping guide this institution toward long-needed reform,” said Justin Barker of SF Zoo Watch. “This decision shows that San Francisco won’t tolerate secrecy and cruelty behind closed doors.”

Advocates are now redoubling their call for a full overhaul of zoo governance. They urge the city to dissolve the outdated and opaque Zoological Society board, transition away from exploitative captivity of animals for entertainment, and shift toward a sanctuary model that ensures animals are only housed when doing so is in their best interest.

Animal advocates are calling on city leaders to take this once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine the future of the San Francisco Zoo — not as an antiquated attraction, but as a pioneering, rescue-forward ecopark rooted in ethics, transparency, and compassion.

“This is not a time to simply reshuffle insiders,” Dawes added. “San Francisco must partner with proven, ethical leadership that prioritizes rescue, rehabilitation, and education — not exploitation. With the right leadership, this can become a global destination ecopark that puts animals’ needs first and focuses on local conservation efforts for imperilled species who need us now.”

Taciana Santiago of Panda Voices also urged immediate cancellation of the zoo’s controversial plan to import giant pandas from China. “We urge the incoming director to make their first act the immediate cancellation of the doomed panda plan,” Santiago said. 

“The zoo’s severely slashed budget has forced plans to house sensitive pandas inappropriately next to big cats — a stressor that alone should disqualify the exhibit. Historically, when projected revenues from panda programs fail to materialize, zoos send pandas back to China — but one recently died of neglect before he could make it home. Pandas do not thrive in captivity, as evidenced by their repeated failure to breed.”

Dawes added, “U.S. taxpayer dollars funneled into China’s panda program have been corruptly used to build roads and apartment blocks, as exposed by the New York Times. San Francisco should nix the misguided panda plan immediately.”

Over 27,000 members of the public have contacted city officials to cancel plans to house pandas at San Francisco Zoo: https://www.idausa.org/sfpanda

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CONTACTS: 

• In Defense of Animals, Brittany Michelson, brittany@idausa.org 928-420-0727
• SF Zoo Watch, Justin Barker, justinmbarker@gmail.com 916-838-3330

IMAGES & VIDEO of animals at San Francisco Zoo and protests are available on request.

ORGANIZATIONS:

In Defense of Animals is an international animal rescue and protection organization with over 250,000 supporters and a history of defending animals, the environment, and their guardians through education and campaigns, as well as hands-on rescue facilities in India, South Korea, rural Mississippi, and California since 1983. www.idausa.org/entertainment

Panda Voices is an organization created in early 2021 by an international group of panda fans from Asia, Europe & The Americas, brought together by concerns over pandas YaYa & LeLe, which began years before. The organization is committed to give voice to the voiceless and promote the humane treatment of animals in captivity through advocacy and services. www.pandavoices.org

SF Zoo Watch is committed to exposing negligence and mismanagement at the San Francisco Zoo. We fight for the safety and ethical treatment of animals and workers, pushing for transparency and accountability. Join us in demanding a safer, more humane San Francisco Zoo. https://sfzoo.watch

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