There is ongoing turmoil and now some amped-up drama at the nonprofit that runs the San Francisco Zoo, as several board members attempted to oust the longtime executive director and CEO, but failed.

It's always a surefire sign that an organization, individual, or business is under some kind of serious scrutiny or facing controversy when they hire local PR guy Sam Singer, as is the case with the San Francisco Zoological Society. While the City of San Francisco owns the SF Zoo, the nonprofit SF Zoological Society runs it, and it receives $4 million per year from the city under a longstanding agreement.

As the Chronicle reports today, amid reports last year of management issues and safety concerns, both for zoo animals and zookeepers, the city commissioned an audit of the zoo that's been ongoing for six month. But there's been rising tension over whether zoo management has provided the requested documentation to the Office of the Budget and Legislative Analyst — which conducts audits for the city. The zoo says it mostly has, but the City Attorney's Office says it has received only five out of 25 requested documents to date.

Then, apparently, the zoo advisory committee that oversees the zoo and its board, which is part of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Commission, was considering the idea of taking zoo management out of the hands of the SF Zoological Society altogether, depending on the outcome of the pending audit.

And the chair of that committee, Larry Mazzola Jr., is mincing no words in speaking to the Chronicle, especially after a failed coup at the nonprofit's board last week wherein there were not enough votes to oust longtime executive director Tanya Peterson — and three board members then resigned in protest.

"This whole debacle is a complete embarrassment," Mazzola tells the paper. "It’s apparent that the SF Zoological Society is inept."

Supervisor Myrna Melgar similarly called out the nonprofit board's "dysfunction," and is apparently looking to revoke the zoo's city funding.

Meanwhile, Singer tells the newspaper, "Just like there are different opinions on the Board of Supervisors, there have been differing opinions on the zoo board, [which] does not equate to dysfunction."

Singer added, regarding the audit, "The zoo believes it’s in compliance or substantial compliance, and if for some reason there are documents the city still requires, the zoo will gladly provide them."

Melgar says she's been "treated with nothing but disrespect," and she said if the zoo did not provide all the requested documents by today, she would put things in motion to keep the zoo's $4 million payment in "reserve" as the next year's budget approvals get underway.

Supervisor Connie Chan, who chairs the supervisors' Budget Committee, has also been critical of the zoo, and said in a statement, "It is mission critical for the San Francisco Zoo to have a safe and healthy environment for the wellness of the animals and their caretakers. We must have competent and transparent leadership at the zoo to ensure this work is done before we can even begin to position ourselves to welcome pandas to our city."

All we've heard from the zoo in recent months is that they are working toward bringing two giant pandas to the city in an agreement with China, though it's far from clear if that is any kind of done deal. Peterson made sure to tell the zoo advisory committee in April that President Trump's tariff plans won't affect endangered species, and they were still full steam ahead on the project — which will require significant fundraising for food and panda care, and the conversion of a former lion enclosure.

But there was a scathing city report in October, describing cages crawling with vermin, dillapidated conditions in the animal enclosures, and a gorilla habitat that is prone to flooding every winter. That was separate from an exposé on safety conditions for zookeepers and animals which was published by the Chronicle in April 2024, which described a dramatic near-miss incident involving a grizzly bear, an accidentally open door, and a zookeeper who had to run for their lives to avoid a potentially dangerous close encounter with the animal.

All this drama may or may not be over at the zoo board, but Singer assures the Chronicle that the board is now "fully supportive of Tanya Peterson." And, the paper reports that there is some concern in the local Chinese American community that Peterson is the fundraising force they need to assure the panda thing will become a reality — but Melgar pushes back on that idea.

"Everyone is acting like this white woman is the savior of the Chinese relationships. No, she’s not. I find that really offensive," Melgar tells the paper.

Previously: Blistering New Report Describes SF Zoo as ‘Unsafe for Visitors and Animals’

Photo: Anthony Sebbo