San Francisco Zoo is the Worst City Zoo in America
How San Francisco's Panda Pitch Masks the Zoo's Deep-Rooted Problems
I recently wrote an op-ed for The SF Standard titled “The Worst-Run City Zoo in America,” exposing the staggering mismanagement at the San Francisco Zoo. My piece pulls together insights from interviews with current and former zoo employees, observations from Joint Zoo Commission meetings, and a draft report from the City Animal Welfare Commission.
One part of my story comes from records requests I submitted to Mayor London Breed’s office. These documents revealed the mayor reaching out to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff with grandiose promises of a “smart home” for pandas, using artificial intelligence and cutting-edge tech to monitor their health. The irony? The zoo can’t even provide running water to certain areas, forcing keepers to haul gallons of water for the animals.
These records made headlines of their own:
SF Standard: "SF Mayor Asked Sam Altman, Marc Benioff to Fund $25M ‘Panda Smart Home’"
SF Chronicle: "Breed Wooed S.F. Tech Leaders on Zoo Pandas by Pitching AI and Potential Naming Influence"
(I have attached each letter at the end of this post)
The San Francisco Zoo has no capacity to develop AI programs; this was 100% fundraising spin. It’s reminiscent of the zoo’s campaign in 1997, where they used orangutans and chimpanzees to promote a $48 million bond measure, promising to build a "great ape forest" — only to redirect the funds toward restoring the carousel, train, and entrance instead.
Despite Breed’s efforts, including offers to let donors name the pandas, both Altman and Benioff declined to fund this venture. And for good reason. This panda pitch is nothing more than a smokescreen. Under CEO Tanya Peterson, the zoo has been in disarray for years. Shockingly, according to a former high-level employee, the current plan is to place the pandas in a 90-year-old grotto within sight and smell of African lions — an arrangement almost certain to cause stress and behavioral problems.
Breed’s letters tout AI and machine learning as tools to "revolutionize animal welfare," but the reality is far less glamorous. The zoo can't even meet basic standards for the animals it currently houses. The promise of a “smart home” for pandas is just a distraction from the real issues at hand.
Until real changes are made, this panda project remains a pipe dream — a high-tech façade over a zoo that desperately needs reform, not more costly diversions.
Below are the letters obtained through a public records request, Breed solicited funds directly from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman:
Salesforce cofounder Marc Benioff:
Greg Sarris, chairman of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria:
Dominic Ng, CEO of East West Bank: