An endangered young female red panda named Little Mebo was welcomed to the San Francisco Zoo & Gardens, officials said Friday.

Little Mebo's name was chosen by Kevin Xu, board member of the San Francisco Zoological Society, in honor of his mother and is intended to complement the animal's playful and curious nature.

An endangered young female red panda named Little Mebo was welcomed to the San Francisco Zoo.

San Francisco Zoo

The cub was flown from Memphis to San Francisco as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' red panda conservation plan, said Tanya Peterson, the zoo's board chair and executive director.

Zoological experts “consider several factors before relocating an animal to ensure the genetic diversity of a species,” she said. “The SF Zoo has provided a safe haven for the endangered red panda for several years, and we are honored to be able to offer Little Mebo a home.”

Andrew Poole, the San Francisco Zoo's assistant curator who accompanied Little Mebo on his Southwest Airlines flight from Memphis, said many travelers were able to see the red panda as he rolled his crate through the airport.

“It was hard to keep a low profile as Little Mebo peeked over the bars of the cage door every 30 seconds. Everyone was overjoyed to see her,” Poole said in a statement.

“As the plane climbed to 35,000 feet, I looked into the crate to check on her and saw that she was fine and quietly chewing on some bamboo, enjoying her flight.”

Little Mebo joins the zoo's male cub, Tenzing, and an older female, Hunter, at the red panda treehouse in the zoo's Youth Exploration Area.

Last month, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted for Mayor London Breed’s plan Bringing pandas to the San Francisco Zoo was approved by a vote of 9-2.

The Mayor pushes for panda diplomacy needed the support of the Board of Directors to begin raising the private funds necessary to prepare the panda for the San Francisco Zoo, at an estimated cost of $25 million.

In April last year, the San Diego Zoo announced that it would be getting two new pandas from China after almost all of the giant pandas that had been loaned to US zoos were brought back to the country.

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) recently unveiled a 10-year plan to repair and renovate its schools and facilities after an assessment found many schools needed maintenance and upgrading. The plan comes after an assessment of SFUSD’s facilities revealed a need for $1.7 billion in 2022 to fund improvements and repairs.

The plan includes recommendations for all aspects of SFUSD’s more than 140 structures, from upgrading classroom technology and outdoor learning spaces to ensuring schools have secure water supplies and classroom security locks. In addition, affordable housing for educators is to be created and transitional kindergarten classes are to be expanded across the board.

The report highlighted numerous issues, including problems with HVAC and electrical systems, roofs, windows, furniture, plumbing, etc. For example, in December, the district discovered lead in some faucets at the Buena Vista Horace Mann K-8 Community School. Shortly thereafter, “unacceptable levels” of lead and arsenic were found in the school’s garden soil.

According to SFUSD Superintendent Dr. Matt Wayne, the plan aims to provide “comfortable and state-of-the-art learning spaces” for district students. However, he emphasized that modernization must meet the needs of students so that the whole child can come to school feeling supported, engaged and challenged.

SFUSD has a significant cluster of campuses in Mission/SoMa areas with high poverty rates. According to The San Francisco Standard’s analysis of United States Census Bureau data, 18.1% of SoMa households live below the poverty line, and 11.1% of Mission households live below the poverty line.

The district’s facilities department presented the plan to the board of education last week, which will continue to seek public feedback. The school authorities will receive the final draft plan on April 25th.

To fund a significant portion of the project, San Francisco voters must first approve a general commitment bond, most likely in 2024. This bond would help fund the repairs and renovations needed to provide students with modern, state-of-the-art learning spaces to provide .

Investing in school facilities is critical to providing students with a safe and comfortable learning environment. It also helps attract and retain qualified educators who want to work in schools with modernized facilities. The SFUSD plan is critical to ensuring all students have access to the resources and facilities needed to succeed.

SFUSD’s 10-year plan to repair and refurbish its schools and facilities is critical to providing students with comfortable and modern learning spaces. The plan addresses numerous issues, including issues with HVAC and electrical systems, roofing, windows, furniture, plumbing, etc. Although the plan will require significant funding, it is an investment in the future of San Francisco’s students and educators.

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The San Francisco Zoo & Gardens on Friday announced the arrival of a pygmy hippopotamus, the first of its endangered species at the zoo since 2004.

The male hippopotamus, named Udo, which means “peace” in the West African Igbo language, is 2 years old and is native to the countries of Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire, according to the zoo.

Pygmy hippos are different from hippos, preferring to spend more time out of the water and having smaller heads and mouths. They are about 5 to 6 feet long and weigh between 400 and 600 pounds, while hippos can weigh over 4,000 pounds, zoo officials say.

“Although the pygmy hippo is much smaller than the larger hippo, our Udo has a big personality! His presence here helps fulfill our mission to protect animals like the pygmy hippopotamus by educating zoo visitors about an endangered species that has been in dwindling numbers due to habitat loss and illegal hunting,” said Tanya Peterson, executive director of the San Francisco Zoological Society, in a press release.

Udo will be in an area of ​​the zoo alongside other endangered African species such as the African lion and black rhino.

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SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Zoo is celebrating a new resident when a male mandrill infant was born at the zoo on February 1. The infant, born to 20-year-old woman “Lulu” and 12-year-old man “Big Joe,” is doing well and can already be seen in the zoo’s outdoor mandrill habitat.

“We are excited about this recent birth as mandrills are considered an endangered species in the wild,” said Tanya M. Peterson, CEO and executive director of the San Francisco Zoological Society. “It’s important to us to share the story of this charismatic primate species whose populations have declined by 30% in the last 30 years and what better way than to highlight great news like this rare birth.”

SF Zoo’s Mandrill group is a family affair, with Lulu and Big Joe living amongst their other youngest offspring, four-year-old male “Kiburi”, two-year-old “Benny” and the current male offspring, who has not yet been named. Two unrelated older female siblings, “Pandora” and “Angie”, make up the rest of the group.

Mandrills are the world’s largest monkeys and are found in the subtropical forests of southwestern Cameroon, western Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and southwestern Congo. They are characterized by light facial coloring and a colorful rump. Similar to a baboon, male mandrills have stocky, powerful bodies and muscular arms, and are significantly larger than females.

The new child was born after a gestation period of 167-176 days. Guests will no doubt see the new baby snuggled up against his mother’s tummy and pulled onto her back after a few months. Cubs achieve independence around 18 months, which usually coincides with the mother’s next birth.

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The San Francisco Zoo & Gardens on Friday announced the arrival of a pygmy hippopotamus, the first of its endangered species at the zoo since 2004.

The male hippo named Udo, which translates to “peace” in the Igbo language of West Africa, is 2 years old and native to the countries of Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia and Cote d’Ivoire, according to the zoo.

Pygmy hippos are different than river hippos, preferring to spend more time out of the water and have smaller heads and mouths. They are about 5 to 6 feet in length and weigh between 400 to 600 pounds, whereas river hippos can weigh over 4,000 pounds, zoo officials say.

“Although the pygmy hippo is much smaller than the larger river hippo, our Udo is big on personality! His presence here helps fulfill our mission to conserve animals such as the pygmy hippo by educating zoo visitors about an endangered species whose numbers have declined drastically due to habitat loss and illegal hunting,” San Francisco Zoological Society executive director Tanya Peterson said in a news release .

Udo will be at an area of ​​the zoo next to other endangered African species like the African lion and black rhino.

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The man who broke into a San Francisco Zoo exhibit in 2020 and kidnapped an endangered ring-tailed lemur has accepted a plea deal for the attention-grabbing heist, which requires mental health treatment but no additional jail time.

Cory McGilloway pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor earlier this month after federal prosecutors agreed the 33-year old, who was facing federal charges of violating the Endangered Species Act, needed medical treatment for a bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, according to court documents.

Under the terms of the deal, McGilloway will return to his mother’s home in North Carolina to begin treatment for mental health issues and drug use, according to court documents. He was released from an Alameda County jail last week after spending nearly 18 months in custody awaiting judgment in the case.

“While parts of Mr. McGilloway’s mental health history are murky, the evidence of mental health concerns and Mr. McGilloway’s need for treatment, rather than more incarceration, ultimately led…to a plea agreement,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing document. McGilloway’s public defender was not immediately available for comment on Thursday.

His late-night lemur caper drew national headlines in October 2020, after he snuck into the zoo’s Lipman Family Lemur Forest habitat and escaped with the endangered ring-tailed lemur. He released the elderly animal at a Daly City preschool two days later. McGilloway was taken into custody in Marin County the same day, after police found photos of the lemur on his cell phone.

Maki returned to the zoo unharmed but died of old age in March.

In court documents, prosecutors and defense attorneys painted McGilloway as a troubled man struggling with addiction. A mental health evaluation determined he was fit to face federal charges despite a bevy of mental health challenges related to his drug use.

Between 2008 and 2021, McGilloway was convicted of 11 crimes that ranged from drug possession and burglary to assault with a deadly weapon.

This month’s plea deal capped off more than two years of legal proceedings in the aftermath of the lemur kidnapping.

Just hours after he released the lemur at the Daly City preschool, McGilloway was arrested for stealing a sanitary service truck in Marin County. During the Oct. 15, 2020 arrest, officers found photos of Maki on McGilloway’s cell phone. He received probation on that case and was ordered to attend weekly mental health classes and take his prescribed medication, his defense attorney said at the time.

McGilloway was then transferred to San Francisco to face state charges of second degree burglary, grand theft and vandalism charges and a federal charge of violating the Endangered Species Act in Maki’s abduction.

Federal prosecutors reduced those charges to a misdemeanor on the condition that McGilloway return to his mother’s North Carolina home to begin treatment for at least three months. In court filings, prosecutors said McGilloway had stabilized during his time in custody and “intends to start a new in North Carolina,” bolstered by family members.

Nora Mishanec is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: nora.mishanec@sfchronicle.com

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Officials at San Francisco Zoo & Gardens sadly announce the passing of its Sumatran tiger, “Leanne,” yesterday. Leanne had lived at San Francisco Zoo for over 15 years and was an important ambassador of her species. At 18 years, 8 months, she was considered a geriatric animal, outliving by more than eight years her species’ life expectancy. Results from a necropsy are pending though her health had been recently declining.

“We truly are heartbroken over the loss of elegant Leanne, the matriarch of our Sumatran tiger breeding program,” said Tanya M. Peterson, CEO and Executive Director of San Francisco Zoological Society. “She was a wonderful animal in all ways and was instrumental in helping us and other zoos conserve this critically endangered tiger subspecies. Not only were her markings uniquely stunning, but she was a charismatic individual who captured the hearts of millions of SF Zoo visitors during her long tenure here. She will be sorely missed.”

Leanne, named after the late San Francisco Zoological Society donor and philanthropist, Leanne Roberts (the late first wife of billionaire George Roberts), was born at the Toronto Zoo in 2003 and transferred to SF Zoo & Gardens in 2006. Over her 15 years here , she had two male companions, but it was “Larry,” a male Sumatran, who was her longtime companion before his passing in 2020. Their daughter, “Jillian,” achieved local fame when the late comedian Robin Williams auctioned off her naming rights at a fundraiser in 2014.

Leanne was a devoted and successful mother from the beginning. In 2008, Leanne had a litter comprised of three male cubs, who have since sired 11 cubs all together at the different zoos they were ultimately transferred to, including the Berlin Zoo. One of these offspring later had five cubs, making Leanne a “great-grandmother.” Leanne and Larry were parents to “Jillian,” born in 2013 who recently transferred to San Diego Wild Animal Park to breed her own litter.

San Francisco Zoo & Gardens is home to the Animal Wellness & Conservation Center, which specializes in non-surgical alternatives for animals and worked with Leanne to condition her for “awake” ultrasounds throughout her pregnancies. The accumulated knowledge from working with Leanne over the years contributed greatly to what is known about tiger breeding and nutrition.

“Leanne was a favorite of staff because of her willingness to participate in conditioning exercises, yet Zoo visitors loved her because she would sleep on her heated rock located next to a viewing window. Even in her old age, she loved to play, and one of her favorite toys was a green boomer ball,” said Ron Whitfield, Curator of Carnivores.

Sumatran tigers (Panthera tigris sumatrae) are native to Sumatra, on Indonesia island. According to the IUCN Red List, an estimated 400-600 Sumatran tigers remain in the wild, and they remain on a declining trend.

This press release was produced by San Francisco Zoo & Gardens. The views expressed here are the author’s own.

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SAN FRANCISCO – A San Francisco Zoo & Gardens ring-tailed lemur that made headlines when he was kidnapped and recovered a year and a half ago has died at the age of 22, zoo officials announced Friday.

“Maki” was one of the zoo’s oldest lemurs, exceeding the median life expectancy of 16.7 years, the zoo said in a news release. He was recently diagnosed with acute kidney disease, which together with his advanced age contributed to his death Thursday, officials said.

On Oct. 13, 2020, Maki was nabbed from the Lipman Family Lemur Forest enclosure. Zoo officials said he was old, slow-moving and required a specialized diet.

The San Francisco Police Department recovered Maki less than 36 hours later when 5-year-old James Trinh spotted him at a playground in Daly City. San Francisco Mayor London Breed honored James and Maki in a ceremony that year on World Lemur Day.

“The fact that Maki survived his ordeal to thrive among his group for more than a year and a half is truly remarkable,” San Francisco Zoological Society CEO and Executive Director Tanya M. Peterson said in a statement.

“Maki became a symbol of resilience and bravery, becoming a fan favorite,” she continued. “His story increased awareness of endangered lemurs worldwide. We are heartbroken for this loss.”

On the same day Maki was found, a 30-year-old man was arrested in connection with his abduction. Zoo officials said he was charged with violating the Endangered Species Act.

While the kidnapping incident elevated Maki’s status as one of the zoo’s more popular animals, he was also one of the few lemurs that moved into the largest outdoor mixed lemur habitat in the country when it opened in 2002, according to the zoo.

Maki’s long-time caretaker, Lori Komejan, said Maki’s favorite food was purple grapes – he did not care for green grapes.

Maki also trusted his caretakers like no other lemur; As the lowest-ranking member of his ring-tailed lemur group, he often chose to eat next to his caretakers rather than his group.

“His personality filled the forest, and he will be missed forever,” Komejan said in a statement.

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A Los Angeles man accused of stealing a lemur from the San Francisco Zoo this week was arrested Thursday in San Rafael after allegedly stealing a store from a supermarket and then stealing a truck, authorities said With.

Cory McGilloway, 30, has been admitted to Marin County Jail for crimes such as burglary, theft, and vandalism. San Rafael police said he stole about $ 500 worth of groceries from the Smart & Final on 935 Anderson Drive Thursday night and then stole a truck owned by Marin Sanitary Service.

San Rafael police searched McGilloway’s cell phone while investigating the thefts and found a photo of a lemur. Lt. Dan Fink said the photo aroused suspicion among arresting officers, who knew Maki, a male ring-tailed lemur, had been stolen from the San Francisco Zoo this week.

Fink said officers notified the San Francisco police, who interviewed McGilloway and charged him in connection with stealing the lemur. McGilloway will be transferred to the San Francisco County Jail after his release from San Rafael police custody for aggravated animal theft, break-ins, looting and vandalism, authorities said.

The overnight break-in at the San Francisco Zoo was reported Wednesday morning. The investigation into the incident continues, the San Francisco police said on Friday.

The missing lemur was found on San Fernando Way in Daly City around 5 p.m. Thursday, police said. Maki “was determined to be in good health and was returned to the San Francisco Zoo,” said the San Francisco Police Department in an announcement.

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