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Tuesday, July 25, 2017
Summer Faces at the Zoo: Lauren Fong
Summer is a very busy season for the zoo’s education department. While it is often difficult to keep track of all the programs the department in coordinating, from stage shows and Overnight Safaris to summer camp classes and Tea & Tours, we can always count on the smiling faces of the camp teachers and education staff, many who we have watched grow over the years as they continue to return every summer. We are excited that the familiar face ...
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Wednesday, July 19, 2017
Cheli and Makan Receive Biennial Exams
By Veterinary Director, Dr. Ray Wack, DVM, Dipl. ACZM At the Sacramento Zoo, leading with animal welfare means we are dedicated to providing the best health care to the animals living in our care. Zookeepers constantly monitor every animal’s behavior, appetite, bodily functions, and more for any subtle changes which are then shared with veterinary staff daily. Just like us, part of the animal’s routine healthcare includes routine physical exams. E...
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Experience the Zoo
Cheli and Makan Receive Biennial Exams
By Veterinary Director, Dr. Ray Wack, DVM, Dipl. ACZM At the Sacramento Zoo, leading with animal welfare means we are dedicated to providing the best health care to the animals living in our care. Zookeepers constantly monitor every animal’s behavi...
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Music for the African Lions
Over the next few weeks, you might hear music near the African lion exhibit at the zoo. Sam Counts, a veterinary student at UC Davis, is investigating the behavioral effects of the music on the lions. The music being played for the African lions has...
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Birth of Critically Endangered black and white ruffed lemurs
We are excited to announce that three female black and white ruffed lemurs were born on May 23. Black and white ruffed lemurs are Critically Endangered and are native to Madagascar. The Sacramento Zoo is home to a multi-generational family group of 1...
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A New Mob at the Sacramento Zoo
The Sacramento Zoo has two new young male red kangaroos from Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, named Flux and Jordan! The two male marsupials are just under two years of age and still have some growing to do before they reach their full adult size. They can b...
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Joey Receives an Ultrasound
Primate zookeepers at the Sacramento Zoo are jumping with joy because Joey the Chimpanzee is successfully receiving ultrasound examinations. Joey is an elderly male Chimpanzee (estimated to be 54-years-old). Over the last few weeks, his caretakers no...
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Matchmaking Zoo Style: Part Two
This is the second of a four-part blog series following Indah as she moves from the Houston Zoo to the Sacramento Zoo. Read part one. Just as preparing to move your family to a new state requires a lot of coordination, so does moving an animal from o...
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A Duo of Otters
Jackson, a 3 year-old male North American River Otter has recently joined the Sacramento Zoo family and can now be seen on exhibit. He moved here from the Jackson Zoo and is in the early stages of being introduced to his new home and Kai, the Zoo’s...
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Picky Pelicans & More – Big Day of Giving
The mission of the Sacramento Zoological Society is to inspire appreciation, respect, and a connection with wildlife and nature through education, recreation, and conservation. During this year’s Big Day of Giving, we are highlighting just a fe...
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Julio’s Birthday on Big Day of Giving – Donate Now!
The Big Day of Giving is finally here! From midnight to 11:59 pm today, you can donate here to support the Sacramento Zoo. May 4th is a special day at the Sacramento Zoo, not only because of the Big Day of Giving, but it’s also Julio the Blue and G...
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Matchmaking Zoo Style
With the planning by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Sumatran Orangutan Species Survival Plan® (SSP), Makan may have found his future mate in Indah. Indah will be arriving in late spring and, after successfully completing quarantine in t...
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First Spring Birth at the Zoo
The Sacramento Zoo’s pair of Critically Endangered Mongoose Lemurs, Catherina and Elmo, welcomed the birth of their fifth offspring the morning of April 13th. Older sisters, Abby and Camilla, born in 2015 and 2016, share the exhibit, learning impor...
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Happy Birthday Rocket
3, 2, 1 Blast Off! The biggest baby at the Sacramento Zoo is no longer a baby. Rocket, the young male Masai Giraffe born at the Zoo last year, turns one today! In honor of his special day he received a rocket and space themed cardboard ‘smash&#...
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Keep up with the Zoo
Upcoming Events
Happening at the Zoo
Featured News
Tuesday, July 25, 2017
Summer Faces at the Zoo: Lauren Fong
Summer is a very busy season for the zoo’s education department. While it is often difficult to keep track of all the programs the de...
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
Cheli and Makan Receive Biennial Exams
By Veterinary Director, Dr. Ray Wack, DVM, Dipl. ACZM At the Sacramento Zoo, leading with animal welfare means we are dedicated to prov...
Monday, July 17, 2017
Celebrating National Zookeeper Appreciation Week
Can you learn the language of an animal that does not speak, spot an illness that an individual is hiding, get an orangutan to take his...
Friday, July 14, 2017
Showing our Stripes
Supporting Sumatran Tiger Conservation Efforts In the tropical forests of Sumatra, the smallest subspecies of tiger is losing the race ...
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
Zoo Docent Celebrating 90 Years
In 1927 the Sacramento Zoo opened as the little zoo in the park, Herkimer the desert tortoise hatched in southern California, and a cou...
Thursday, July 6, 2017
Music for the African Lions
Over the next few weeks, you might hear music near the African lion exhibit at the zoo. Sam Counts, a veterinary student at UC Davis, i...
Monday, July 3, 2017
Looking Forward: A Message from the Board of Trustees
By Sacramento Zoo Board of Trustees President, Jeff Raimundo The Sacramento Zoo’s Director/CEO will depart the Sacramento Zoo in the ...
Monday, July 3, 2017
Record Breaking Zoo Teens
The 66 Sacramento Zoo Teens have broken all sorts of records in the 2016/17 year with their hard work and dedication! Hours Worked: 7,2...
Friday, June 30, 2017
Summer Zoo Bucket List
Trying to figure out what to do at the Sacramento Zoo this summer? Below is a bucket list of activities with insider tips. How many can...
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Employee Profile: Phyllis Pratt
Each month a Zoo staff member is selected as Employee of the Month. The individual selected has gone above and beyond their job descrip...
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
Birth of Critically Endangered black and white ruffed lemurs
We are excited to announce that three female black and white ruffed lemurs were born on May 23. Black and white ruffed lemurs are Criti...
Tuesday, June 20, 2017
SacZoo Primate Expert Visits China
From January 12-19, 2017, four great ape experts from the U.S., including the Sacramento Zoo, were invited to China to participate in a...
Your Help.
Our Impact
As the only aquatic turtle native to California, we feel strongly about our direct involvement in their future – in the zoo community and in the wild.
Making a difference in Western Pond Turtle Populations
Eleven western pond turtles hatched at the Sacramento Zoo in 2016. Weighing only five to six grams at hatching, these tiny turtles have big shells to fill as they grow to their adult weight of between 6000 and 1200 grams (1.3 to 2.6 lbs.). All the western pond turtles at the Sacramento Zoo play important roles as animal ambassadors at the zoo, aiding in our commitment to the species.
Western pond turtles are found in the most western of the United States. In Washington and Oregon it is designated as “Endangered”. In California (and Baja California) it is a “Species of Special Concern” and listed as “Threatened”. Their population is drastically declining primarily due to habitat loss from urbanization and conversion to agricultural needs.
The Sacramento Zoo is home to one of the largest populations of western pond turtles housed within an Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) facility and the Zoo is an active participant in the AZA Species Survival Plan® (SSP) for them.
The Sacramento Zoo is helping this species in a number of ways. Read More