Cloudy skies with periods of rain later in the day. High 59F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch..
Thunderstorms in the evening, then cloudy with rain likely overnight. Low 51F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
Updated: February 9, 2026 @ 11:44 pm
Animal activists outside City Hall holding signs showing incidents where animals at the San Francisco Zoo & Garden have died due to alleged mistreatment and unsuitable conditions in San Francisco.
The longtime chief of the San Francisco Zoo & Gardens announced her retirement Tuesday night, just days after Mayor Daniel Lurie called for her departure.
Peterson told the San Francisco Zoological Society board’s executive committee that she will be retiring Aug. 1.
“She thanked the board and employees and animals at the San Francisco Zoo & Gardens, saying it has been an honor to serve the loyal constituents of this amazing community,” according to a statement from spokesperson Sam Singer.
“She made the decision on her own because she believed it was the right thing to do on behalf of the institution,” Singer said.
Hired in 2008, Peterson and the zoo had come under fire recently in the wake of a report detailing animal welfare and staff safety concerns.
And while a recent inspection by the United States Department of Agriculture found the zoo was compliant with federal animal welfare regulations, the animal rights groups In Defense of Animals, SF Zoo Watch and Panda Voices have repeatedly called for Peterson’s ouster “following year of negligence, mismanagement, preventable animal deaths, obstructing accountability, and misuse of public resources.”
One of Peterson’s most visible recent efforts was to champion the zoo’s possible acquisition of a pair of giant pandas from China by April 2026 — a plan Lurie signaled would move forward without her.
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