One day every year, the San Francisco Zoo receives hundreds of prankster phone calls asking for people named Ted E. Bear, Ellie Fant, or Don Key, among others. On which day each year does this occur?

For one day each year, the switchboard at the San Francisco Zoo is flooded with calls for a wild cast of characters. This annual prank, a beloved local tradition, takes place on April 1st. The harmless joke involves children and adults alike phoning the zoo to ask for people with pun-based animal names, such as "Mr. G. Raff," "Anna Conda," or "Claude Hopper." The date is the entire point, turning a simple phone call into a city-wide celebration of April Fools' Day humor.

The tradition's origins trace back to legendary San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen. In a 1975 column, he playfully suggested that his readers call the zoo and ask for "Leo Pird" (leopard). Given Caen's immense popularity and influence in the Bay Area, the idea caught on instantly and has been repeated every year since. What started as a columnist's whim quickly grew into an enduring and anticipated local event.

Rather than treating the calls as a nuisance, the San Francisco Zoo has fully embraced the spirit of the day. They now prepare in advance, often bringing in volunteers and docents specifically to field the prank calls. These good-natured receptionists play along, politely informing callers that "Ms. Ellie Fant is unable to come to the phone right now" or that "Mr. Bear is currently hibernating." This clever response has transformed a potential annoyance into a charming community tradition that connects the zoo with generations of pranksters.