In the ongoing coverage of San Francisco's favorite prodigal primate, ABC7 reports that some Zoo officials are skeptical of his alibi. Sam, you'll recall, was reportedly found in the bushes at Stern Grove by a passerby who managed to convince the poor creature to climb in to a backpack. But according to at least one zoo employee, squirrel monkeys aren't exactly keen on climbing in to backpacks with strangers. "A monkey would be placed into a backpack forcibly," the zoo's Assistant Curator of Primates Jill Andrews told ABC7. more ›

Abducted squirrel monkey and Twitter sensation Banana Sam has been returned, only slightly worse for wear, to the San Francisco Zoo. The 17-year-old, 2-pound monkey was found Saturday evening by someone in Stern Grove, who managed to coax him into a backpack and return him to the zoo, where zookeepers say he was hungry, cold, and shaking but otherwise fine and uninjured. As Banana Sam's Twitter alter-ego wrote on New Year's Day, "The zoo said, I was 'hungry, trembling, and thirsty' when I got back. JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE THIS MORNING RIGHT?!!" Also, he added, "That's the last time I ever crawl into someone's backpack who says we're going to an 'awesome party, dude.'" more ›

The story of Banana-Sam, the Squirrel Monkey reported missing from the San Francisco Zoo earlier today, seems to have taken the city by storm on this slow news day. Like any good viral sensation, this one has it's very own twitter account from which we can track Banana-Sam's crosstown exploits. If the little fella is to be believed (and why wouldn't we trust a tweeting monkey?), security out there at the Zoo was "laughably simple" to breach, but he still had to wait an hour for the L-Taraval before he could escape the Outer Sunset. more ›

The San Francisco is asking for the public's help to retrieve a reportedly stolen squirrel monkey. "This morning zoo staff discovered a 17-year-old male squirrel monkey, 'Banana-Sam,' was missing from an exhibit that had been breached by vandals," reports BCN. "Banana-Sam weighs approximately 2 pounds and is more than a foot tall." more ›

Would you look at this little rapscallion? Come now. It's simply too much. We love it. This ring-tailed lemur enjoyed a Thanksgiving feast at the San Francisco Zoo today as part of the zoo's annual "Feasts for the Beasts" luncheon. The feast consisted of green beans, a fruit salad of apples, bananas, and grapes, sweet potatoes, a turkey made out of monkey chow (!) and apple juice with grapes in champagne flutes. more ›

A new girl at the San Francisco Zoo made her debut today: Martha, an 11-year-old Siberian Tiger, has joined the lineup of big cats out on Sloat Blvd. Like so many fierce women in San Francisco, Martha is not from here - she was born in captivity at the Indianapolis Zoo in 2000 and spent some time lounging around the enclosures of Omaha, Nebraska's Henry Doorly Zoo before finally finding her way to the Zoo by the ocean in the city by the bay. more ›

Aw. At a ZooFest fundraiser for the San Francisco Zoo on Wednesday, a winning bidder won the right to re-name the park's male hippo. His new name? Brian Wilson. NBC Bay Area notes: "Brian Wilson (the hippo) will turned eight-years-old yesterday, but it was his first birthday at the SF Zoo -- his keepers planned a watermelon feast along with a few other special produce treats." more ›

In a jarring move sure to send local drag queens running for the glass pipe, the San Francisco Zoo plans to rename a new Siberian tiger "Martha." Which wouldn't be so criminal if its given name, "Shasta," weren't so rad. SF Appeal reports: "The 10-year-old, 295 lb white Siberian tiger, currently named 'Shasta,' has been renamed Martha, after SFZS Board member Barnaby Conrad III successfully bid $20K to name her in honor of his wife, Martha Sutherland." more ›

The Zoo's baby Koala has emerged! She's been hiding, as marsupials do, in her mother's pouch for the past six months. Use that fact to make yourself seem smart when you show this video to other people. And then go visit the adorable creature in the Koala Crossing exhibit. [SFist Tipline] more ›

It only took three years to get, but the Associated Press has finally gotten hold of reports from the government agency responsible for overseeing our nation's zoos - and they confirm what we pretty much already knew: Investigators agree that Tatiana, the Siberian tigress who killed Carlos Sousa Jr. and attacked his friends on Christmas 2007, must have been taunted by the three inebriated teens. As big cat expert Laurie Gage, from the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspect Service wrote in a draft of her report: "With my knowledge of tiger behavior I cannot imagine a tiger trying to jump out of its enclosure unless it was provoked." more ›

The polar bears at the San Francisco Zoo, Uulu and Pike, rolled around in the snow yesterday and enjoyed a special holiday-themed treat. (Sorry to get all depressing, but this makes us wonder if that's how skimpy our mighty glaciers look these days.) more ›

The Examiner reported on Thursday night that they obtained a never-before-released police interview with the Brothers Kulbir and Amritpal “Paul” Dhaliwal regarding the 2007 Siberian tiger attack at the San Francisco Zoo, which resulted in the death of 17-year-old Carlos Sousa Jr.. This exclusive report, released just in time for the third anniversary of the incident, promised a "tasty treat" in its headline, which turned out to be the fact that the three victims were eating nachos at some point before Tatiana the tiger escaped her enclosure and attacked them. more ›

The SF Zoo is holding a naming contest for their new Anaconda snake. If your name is selected as the winner for the 16-year old snake, "you and ten of your besties will be able to get a VIP tour of the zoo, and also a plush anaconda toy," notes Curbed. We're partial to "Snakey-Snake" or "Diane." What about you? (Oh, and you can enter the SF Zoo's contest here.) [Curbed] more ›

The San Francisco Zoo's keeper staff moving their giant green anaconda to his new home in the South American Tropical Forest. more ›

Two years ago, SFist posted this minor scoop on the new arrival of a white alligator at the San Francisco Zoo. Sadly, hours after posting this amazing footage it was taken down. (Word from the California Academy of Science was that a well-known local newspaper giant, whose famous name shall remain nameless, demand its removal so that they could get the scoop.) Today, two years later, the film of Claude arriving at SF Zoo is back up for your viewing pleasure/horror. more ›

In addition to two new capybaras (the world's largest living rodents), the San Francisco Zoo welcomes this week-old flamingo chick to the family. Here the baby bird stands next to its father. more ›

"Pacing around like a tiger" by screaming_monkey. more ›

The San Francisco Zoo is mourning the loss of Andy, their beloved polar bear. KTVU reports, "Officials said Andy recently began to show signs of lethargy, decreased appetite and disorientation, forcing veterinary staff and caretakers to begin monitoring her condition closely and encouraging her to eat and drink fluids." But, after his her liver failure proved too much, the 27-year-old furry puff fluff was euthanized today. Andy was a member of the SF Zoo since 1985. more ›

Well, this is downright adorable, these penguins walking down a hallway at the San Francisco Zoo. Warning: Excessive amounts of unbridled waddling. Brace yourself. more ›

The San Francisco Zoo posted these photos yesterday of three Magellanic Penguin chicks' first day swimming. Those penguins look pretty darn fluffy. more ›

SF Zoo's Tony the tiger dies. more ›

Who likes baby animals? Anyone who isn't a serial killer, that's who. With that in mind, here are some new arrivals at the San Francisco Zoo you should enjoy. more ›

SF Zoo's Tony the tiger is our kinda guy: a little bit on the geriatric side, a little clumsy, and a whole lot of adorable. Yesterday, according to BCN (via SF Appeal), Tony the tiger got stuck inside the tiger grotto moat. Which is sad since, according to the zoo, it is one of his favorite places to chill. more ›

Polar bear frolicking in the snow today at SF Zoo. more ›

The mentally unhinged man who jumped into the grizzly grotto at the SF Zoo on September 26 has been acquitted by a jury. Accused of "trespassing and disturbing dangerous animals," Kenneth Herron, 21, crept into the into the dwelling of" two 6-year-old, 500-pound female grizzlies at closing time," reports SF Chronicle. more ›

SF Zoo chimpanzee licks Jello off a pumpkin, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009 at the San Francisco Zoo. Starting Oct. 24th and 25th, visitors can watch zookeepers give the animals Halloween-themed treats. Check it out. (AP Photo/George Nikitin, San Francisco Zoo) more ›

Over the weekend, a man climbed into the bear enclosure at the San Francisco Zoo. Authorities still aren't sure why Kenneth Herron, 21, who is described as a "transient," made his way into the grizzly bear grotto late Sunday afternoon. It seems Herron managed to scale a wall, get himself into the enclosure, and crouch behind some bushes once inside. more ›

Thank you to the kind tipster who warmed our hearts with this story from Kron 4/Bay City News. The San Francisco Zoo is searching for a young girl named Alexis who visited the zoo on August 10 and donated $22 to baby gorilla Hasani, which she raised selling her handmade origami to friends. The zookeeper had run to get a photo of Hasani to give to Alexis as a token of the zoo's appreciation, but when the the worker returned, Alexis had left. more ›

The victims (instigators?) of the Christmastime tiger mauling that left their (sort of) friend, Carlos Sousa Jr., dead, Kulbir and Amritpal Dhaliwal will receive a cool $900.000 from the San Francisco Zoo. According to SF Chronicle, this settlement by the zoo "resolves claims the brothers brought in U.S. District Court against the city, zoo and Sam Singer, a crisis public relations consultant the zoo hired after the attack." The brothers' lawsuit, among other claims, says that the SF Zoo failed at "keeping the 243-pound Siberian tiger named Tatiana in an enclosure that had walls 4 feet lower that what is recommended by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums." It also says that Kulbir Dhaliwal "wasn't attacked until after an employee refused to allow him into the safety of a zoo cafe." Which, yeah, regardless of what you think of the hoodlum brothers, that's kind of cold. Anyway, the Dhaliwal brothers will split the money, which is sure to buy all of the Grey Goose, Drakkar Noir, and criminal defense attorneys they will ever need. more ›