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Report finds San Francisco Zoo ‘extremely outdated', unsafe for animals

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Report finds San Francisco Zoo ‘extremely outdated', unsafe for animals


A report released by the San Francisco Animal Control and Welfare Commission accused the San Francisco Zoo of having “extremely outdated” enclosures and mismanagement.

Animal activists, animal welfare advisors, and veterinarians toured the 95-year-old popular institution. Based on their observations, the report primarily highlighted the size of the enclosures and how long they’ve gone without repairs.

“The safety measures to meet the AZA and USDA enclosure requirements are minimal and even more frightening – unsafe for the animals and visitors,” read the report.

Justin Barker, founder of the San Francisco Zoo Watch, toured the facility and expressed concerns about specific exhibits.

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“SF Zoo is one of the worst-run zoos in the country,” Barker said. “All you have to do is talk to former and current staff to understand the full problem.”

Among the corners was the koala habitat. The report stated that it could only hold one Koala at a time, but the Zoo currently had three.

The report added that the jaguar exhibit should be designed to provide the highest security level, including completely encoding the top of the enclosure.

In 2007, Tatinia the tiger escaped her exhibit and killed a visitor.

The Kangaroo habitat was explicitly cited as having a lack of running water.

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The SF Zoo responded and said the report had severe inaccuracies.

“As an AZA-accredited institution, we are proud of the industry-leading care and safe habitats we provide for all of our animals,” the Zoo said in a statement.

The report comes a few months after Mayor London Breed announced plans to bring pandas to the facility.

“The Mayor agrees the Zoo is in need of revitalization, which is why bringing a global attraction such as the pandas would be ideal – to expedite and invest in improvements and enhancements where necessary,” the mayor’s office said in a statement.

Barker said it would be irresponsible for the Zoo and city to proceed with a panada plan and asked that the Board of Supervisors conduct an audit.

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Ahsha Safai, supervisor for District 11, agreed with Barker and said the Zoo’s owner and city must take the report seriously.

“The welfare commission asked the board of supervisors to do an audit; we’re going to do that; we need a hearing; we need to bring all the parties in a room,” Safai said.

Supervisor Aaron Peskin agreed that the Zoo needs an audit.

“I agree that a comprehensive performance audit of the San Francisco Zoo is overdue,” Peskin said.

Both Peskin and Safai are running for mayor.

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The Association of Zoos and Aquariums released a statement on Friday that said the Zoo’s current accreditation is based on a few-hour visit in 2022, during which its zoologist saw no significant problems.



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San Francisco, CA

Sunset Night Market makes official return to San Francisco

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Sunset Night Market makes official return to San Francisco




Sunset Night Market makes official return to San Francisco – CBS San Francisco

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Giants scratch Rafael Devers from lineup with tight hamstring

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Giants scratch Rafael Devers from lineup with tight hamstring


Friday, February 27, 2026 9:48PM

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The San Francisco Giants scratched slugger Rafael Devers from the starting lineup because of a tight hamstring, keeping him out of a spring training game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday.

The three-time All-Star and 2018 World Series champion is starting his first full season with the Giants after they acquired him in a trade with the Boston Red Sox last year.

Devers hit 35 home runs and had 109 RBIs last season, playing 90 games with San Francisco and 73 in Boston. He signed a $313.5 million, 10-year contract in 2023 with the Red Sox.

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He was 20 when he made his major league debut in Boston nine years ago, and he helped them win the World Series the following year.

Devers, who has 235 career homers and 747 RBIs, led Boston in RBIs for five straight seasons and has finished in the top 20 in voting for AL MVP five times.

Copyright © 2026 ESPN Internet Ventures. All rights reserved.



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San Francisco court clerks strike for better staffing, training

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San Francisco court clerks strike for better staffing, training


The people cheering and banging drums on the front steps of San Francisco’s Hall of Justice are usually quietly keeping the calendars and paperwork on track for the city’s courts.

Those court clerks are now hitting the picket lines, citing the need for better staffing and more training. It’s the second time the group has gone on strike since 2024, and this strike may last a lot longer than the last one.

Defense attorneys, prosecutors and judges agree that court clerks are the engines that keep the justice system running. Without them, it all grinds to a slow crawl.

“You all run this ship like the Navy,” District 9 Supervisor Jackie Fielder said to a group of city clerks.

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The strike is essentially a continuation of an averted strike that occurred in October 2025.

“We’re not asking for private jets or unicorns,” Superior Court clerk employee Ben Thompson said. “We’re just asking for effective tools with which we can do our job and training and just more of us.”

Thompson said the training is needed to bring current employees up to speed on occasional changes in laws.

Another big issue is staffing, something that clerks said has been an ongoing issue since October 2024, the last time they went on a one-day strike.

Court management issued their latest statement on Wednesday, in which the court’s executive officer, Brandon Riley, said they have been at an impasse with the union since December.

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The statement also said Riley and his team has been negotiating with the union in good faith. He pointed out the tentative agreement the union came to with the courts in October 2025, but it fell apart when union members rejected it.

California’s superior courts are all funded by the state. In 2024, Sacramento cut back on court money by $97 million statewide due to overall budget concerns.

While there have been efforts to backfill those funds, they’ve never been fully restored.

Inside court on Thursday, the clerk’s office was closed, leaving the public with lots of unanswered questions. Attorneys and bailiffs described a slightly chaotic day in court.

Arraignments were all funneled to one courtroom and most other court procedures were funneled to another one. Most of those procedures were quickly continued.

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At the civil courthouse, while workers rallied outside, a date-stamping machine was set up inside so people could stamp their own documents and place them in locked bins.

Notices were also posted at the family law clinic and small claims courts, noting limited available services while the strike is in progress.

According to a union spokesperson, there has been no date set for negotiations to resume, meaning the courthouse logjams could stretch for days, weeks or more.



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