The Official Sacramento Zoo Blog

Happy Blog Birthday!

2008-07-22T11:38:00.001-07:00

By Zoo Blog Keeper

We can't believe it - It's already been a whole year since we started the Sacramento Zoo blog!

Looking back, we are very proud of the 118 posts we have done, and are very thankful that people from every corner of the Zoo have contributed.

We started the blog to share some of the more personal stories, the inside scoop, and the weird things we do and still call a job. I am constantly amazed at the talented staff we have and thier ability to take on new projects. Writing for the blog has been one of those projects.

So, thank you to everyone who reads our little blog, and to everyone who has contributed! It's great fun and reminds us that sometimes the more informal and personal communication is very worth while.

THANK YOU!!!

Now, let's start another year of blogging!

King of Feasts was a Great Party!

2008-07-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

By Zoo Blog Keeper

King of Feasts, our food and wine tasting event on June 28, was just a ton of fun! With just about 50 vendors serving up food, beer, wine, sake and much more, everyone seemed to have a great time. After being stuck inside due to the fires and smoke in the air, you could tell people just wanted to get out and have a good time. Over 700 people attended this year! Take a look at the slideshow...

Car Wash to Battle the Heat

2008-07-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

By Zoo Blog Keeper

Last week was miserable! With triple digit heat and poor air quality, everyone hated being outside. The volunteer teen counselors from Summer Camp usually do public education in the afternoons, offering up crafts and activities for the visitors. But with no visitors in site because of the weather, another idea was hatched... a car wash!

They signed up Zoo employees for 10 minute time slots all afternoon and took donations to fund their end-of-camp party. It was a great success, and it looks like they enjoyed themselves!

From the Kitchen - Blood Pops

2008-07-14T10:45:00.000-07:00

You Won’t Find These Frozen Treats at Your Local Grocery Store!

When the thermostat hits 90 degrees, in most homes the popsicles start to fly out of the freezer. It’s pretty much the same at the Zoo, except that your treats are considerably different than the “pops” we have in our freezer!

In the carnivore area, blood pops are all the rage! The Zookeepers (or BETA volunteers) take the blood from the meat diet, dilute and freeze it in pans or balloons. Once frozen, the balloon is removed leaving a ball or the pan is heated off the popsicle. Just about every one of the carnivores enjoys this cool treat. A twist to this recipe uses tuna juice and water to create pops that the River otters particularly love.

The primates, birds and hoof stock enjoy a more vegetarian food fare. The keepers freeze pieces of their diet with water in shallow pans or Bundt pan rings for hanging. A variety of items can be tossed into these popsicles – sunflower seeds, nuts, berries, melon, raisins, grapes, veggies, flowers … even bamboo and other edible plant materials.

Sometimes it is just as refreshing to freeze fresh food items without putting them in water. Keepers have frozen entire diets or just a few items. A pan of ice-cold fruits, veggies and plants provides frosty variety to the animals’ summer diet.

Styrofoam Recycling - Sacramento

2008-07-11T08:36:00.000-07:00

By Jaime Wilson, Sacramento Zoo Green Team Member

Over the last six months, I have received quite a few phones calls asking about how to recycle Styrofoam in the Sacramento area, and if the Zoo collects it. This has been one of our biggest challenges at the Zoo, but I couldn't figure out why everyone was calling us for advice!

Then I googled "Styrofoam recycling Sacramento", and I had my answer... Our blog from September 2007, Styrofoam Recycling Event at Cal Expo, was the third result! And our Green Team page of our website was fifth!

We seem to be an accidental authority on Styrofoam recycling in the area - So we are going to embrace it! Here is an update and there is good some news.

Styrofoam Recycling - ROSEVILLE
The City of Roseville started a pilot program in November 2007 in which they partnered with local buisinesses to offer Styrofoam recycling for the public. There are four locations according to the Rocklin & Roseville Today article:

Maidu Park at 1550 Maidu Drive, Roseville
Washington Boulevard at 800 All American City Blvd., across from Placer County Fairgrounds.
Mahany Park at 1575 Pleasant Grove Blvd., next to Bear Dog Park.
Berry Street off of Galleria Boulevard.

Styrofoam Recycling - STOCKTON
Timbron International is a company that takes all that #6 Styrofoam and upcycles it into paintable moldings for your house - what a cool idea! They recycle your Styrofoam at their location in Stockton.

4331 Pock Lane, Stockton, California 95206

Styrofoam Recycling - SACRAMENTO
There aren't any location that I could find to take Styrofoam in Sacramento, but Sacramento Waste Management has some other resources to explore, including a mail back program. I use there http://www.sacgreenteam.com/ website as a resource all the time for recycling information.

I know from speaking with Department of Conservation, Division of Recycling people, that business that have large quantities can find a bailing machine and get on a program - but regular folks and small producers, like us, don't have too many options at this point.

So, now you know! Keep collecting all that #6 EPS Styrofoam - and when there is another Sacramento area recycling event, we will be sure to let you know! So far there have been two in the last year (and none before that), so it seems like it is just starting to catch its stride.

UPDATE: I drove to the Roseville location at Maidu Park, and the Styrofoam is collected in a large white dumpters - plenty of room!

Lemur Eating - Video Blog

2008-07-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

By Zoo Blog Keeper

Lemurs have a unique way of eating - take a look at the Black & white ruffed lemurs. Keeper Janine talks about some of their favorite foods.

Savannah Snacks

2008-07-07T07:55:00.000-07:00

By Zoo Blog Keeper

As many of you may know, our Ice Cream Station Zebra concession stand (near the River otters), is pretty old. We have wanted to replace it for quite some time and plans have been in the works for about a year now.

The building will be demolished and a new concession stand, named Savannah Snacks, will replace it. We are hoping it will be all ready to go by the end of summer. Since the new building will have more up-to-date appliances, we will be able to offer a better menu of foods. It will also tie into the renovation of the giraffe exhibit that live behind the area.

Here is what the new Savannah Snacks looks like, although I think the surrounding area will look more picturesque when it's at the Zoo!

Ice Cream Safari Promo

2008-07-04T11:13:00.000-07:00

By Zoo Blog Keeper

Last week our favorite weatherman, Dave Bender from CBS13, came out to do a promo for the annual Ice Cream Safari on July, 26. Dave has hosted our Wild Affair in the past (and again this year), and he is always such a good sport. What most folks don't know is that he has a background in exotic animals!

Pirate Ship with Teens

2008-07-02T13:48:00.000-07:00

By Zoo Blog Keeper

When these videos first made their way around the Zoo, we just couldn't stop laughing. Every year there is a group of great teen volunteers that come in to work Summer Camp and be the kids Camp Counselors. Before camp starts they get together for some get-to-know-you activites and team building.

That's where Pirate Ship comes in.

Basically, you set out the boundries of your ship and one person calls out commands like "Captians coming", "Shark attach", "Man the lifeboats", etc and everyone runs to follow the command. Some commands take teams of people and if you don't find a team, you get kicked off the ship. But you can always come back on if "Mutiny" is called.

Take a look!

Check out the full set of Pirate Ship rules, if you want to have some fun. If the teens are having this much fun, Summer Camp must be a blast!

We Didn't Forget You!

2008-06-30T15:21:00.001-07:00

By Zoo Blog Keeper

Wow. I'm tired.

I just wanted to assure you that we didn't completely forget the blog! Saturday night was our annual King of Feasts - food and wine tasting, silent auctions, live entertainment, and a whole lot of fun!

It was a perfect night. After staying indoors for so many days because of the fire, you could tell everyone needed a fun night out. The restaurants had fantastic food and it was such a treat to walk down Big Cat Row, smell all the delicious foods and see the lions laying on their rocks while everyone was having fun.

Coordinating over 50 vendors, 2 bands, 3 silent auctions, 750 guests (and so much more), took quite a bit of our time. Yesterday we broke down and put away almost everything it takes to run an event that size, so now we get a day off! Yipee!

We will be back to a few post a week very soon!

Primates are Going Green

2008-06-25T08:37:00.000-07:00

by Gus, the blog frog

At the Sacramento Zoo, the chimpanzees and orangutans need their daily multi-vitamins too.

The Zookeepers use operant conditioning (positive reinforcement) to get these very intelligent animals to take their medicine in a small cup. If the vitamins are liquid, then they are mixed with some juice. If they are pills, then they are crushed and added to yogurt. If one of the animals does not need any medicine or vitamins, they still get a cup of juice. This becomes part of the daily routine and makes administering medicine a normal part of their day and diet.

The primates get a multi-vitamin to supplement their diet. The older chimpanzee and orangutan also get medicine to help with arthritis.

This required 16 dixie cups a day! That is 11 for the chimps and 5 for the orangs. Don't even ask me to calculate a years worth, it is too much.

As one of my duties as the green mascot at the Zoo, I was able to get all the Zookeepers to start using reusable aluminum bottles, which eliminated human paper cup waste completely. This inspired the primate keepers to find an alternative to the dixie cup usage of our animals.

Now, they have reusable plastic cups with reusable straws (which were surplus from the snack bar, even better) which are washed and stored daily. And because our keepers go all out for the animals, they even built cup holders inside the den, to keep them from tipping the cups over.

King of Feast Auction

2008-06-20T13:59:00.000-07:00

by Jaime Wilson, Auction Coordinator

At this year's King of Feasts on June 28th, we have three silent auctions, all with a wonderful assortment of exciting items. To get your mouth watering, here is a small sample of some of our favorites:

Kampala Auction

K6 Dinner for two (2), Formaggio Taverna and Patio

K10 Trio of Bray Vineyards red wines, Eileen Buxton

K20 Handmade zoo animal quilt, Marcie March
K21 Painting by the Chimpanzee, Josie, Primate Zoo Keepers

Snow Leopard Auction

S3 Ostrich egg with appliqué African animals, Sacramento Zoo
S8 Rainforest frog necklace and earrings, Mangabeads
S11 $50 gift card, Sacramento Theatre Company
S17 Belly dancing class and accessories, Mystic Sun Studio

Lemur Auction

L3 Trio of assorted Port wines, Eileen Buxton
L4 Four (4) classes, Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op Learning Center and Cooking School
L7 Certificate for 1/2 dozen gourmet dipped strawberries, Berry Factory, a Shari Fitzpatrick Company
L10 MAC professional Santoku knife set, MAC Knife, Inc.
L22 Jeroboam (3L) of 2002 Terra d’Oro Zinfandel, Montevina Winery

Get your tickets now, before the price increases on June 28th.

Baby Lemurs Growing Right on Track

2008-06-18T15:38:00.000-07:00

by Leslie Field, Animal Care Supervisor

The Black and white ruffed lemur babies are weighed weekly now to measure their growth and check their health. Our three babies are right on course when compared to the three babies born to the same set of parents two years ago. Last year, with a single baby, he had all the milk he wanted and grew a bit faster as you can see from the pink line on the chart below.

It is exciting to track thier growth and you can get a sneek peak on our lemur webpage. They are still behind the scenes with mom, until the get big enough to explore the exhibit on their own in a few months.

Zoo Camp Supplies and Controlled Chaos

2008-06-13T10:29:00.000-07:00

By Amanda Casteneda, Education Manager

Beginning in April, I work with the Interpretive Center and the Animal Care department to come up with a schedule for the special enrichments and behind the scenes experiences that are unique to Zoo Camp. It takes organization, creativity, and a little finesse to make sure that each class gets to see animals related to their theme, make it work with the class schedule, and fit it in with the keeper’s and the animals’ busy routine!

Believe it or not, preparing for camp means a lot of writing! Each year I have to write new camp descriptions, brochures, advertising, job postings, training manuals for teachers and teens, confirmation and policy forms. . .

As camp gets closer, there is a lot of cleaning, organizing and shopping to do. All year long I scour the school supply sales for the best deals on pens, glue and paint. I go to Michaels for foam visors and paint pens. My new favorite place to shop is RAFT, a discount store for educators. You can buy all kinds of cool stuff there to make any kind of craft you can imagine. They have everything from cardboard tubes and old CD’s to all of the stickers and pipe cleaners you could ever want. I also get to pick out and buy all of the camp shirts. This year I went with frogs, it is leap year after all! Serina designed the cute little stamp on the back of the shirts; I think it will be a Zoo Camp signature from now on. Serina also does some serious snack shopping! Imagine a flatbed warehouse shopping cart filled 4 feet high with granola, gram crackers and goldfish. We get some funny looks from other shoppers.

In the final days we are getting all of the signs, tables, and other equipment out of storage, dusting it off and seeing what needs to be replaced. Before camp we did a dry run and set up everything we normally need in the morning to make sure we are fully prepared. Of course that means we forget something later. That’s the fun part of camp. So much is going on that it really is controlled chaos. I love coming in every day and meeting new challenges, and chances for creativity. And who wouldn’t love starting every work day singing silly songs with a bunch of crazy kids?

Zoo Camp Planning Leads to Successful Summer

2008-06-11T14:29:00.000-07:00

By Amanda Casteneda, Education Manager

Camp just started on Monday, and it was a rewarding first day after months of planning! Putting on programs for up to 700 kids, 70 counselors and 150 camping families takes a lot of planning and organization, but summer camp is also the best part of my job.

Each year, we hire the whole camp staff all over again, but many return from year to year. I start advertising and interviewing for teachers and assistants early in the year, and I am usually filling spots all the way until camp starts. This year we have 14 staff members for camp, including me. It is such a great group to work with, and 12 are returning from last year because we have so much fun! There are 10 teachers, a teen coordinator who oversees the counselors , an overnight coordinator and assistant for the Family Overnight Safaris , and a camp assistant.

Coordinating Zoo Camp is all about schedules, schedules and more schedules! Almost immediately after camp ends, I begin planning the schedule for next year. I have a file of the camp titles and descriptions I like and I also scour the internet and my own brain to try to come up with new ideas. I make some changes in the class schedule based on the experiences of the summer before. This year we decided to separate the 7th and 8th grade summer classes into a new program called Zoo Quest! These classes are the next level after Zoo Camp. They delve into real world Zoo and Science careers, so it was time that they became a world of their own. Look for changes to this program in the years to come!

The Teen Coordinator, Robin, and I also have to coordinate the summer schedules of 69 busy teenagers to fill all of the counselor spaces every week. Robin planned and ran an awesome teen training this year (look for her blog entry to come).

There are a lot of schedules to coordinate and then a bunch of supplies to buy. Check back soon for part II and our creative shopping adventures.

Your camp coordinators hard at work!

Sifaka Keeper Talk - Video Blog

2008-06-06T09:33:00.000-07:00

By Zoo Blog Keeper

Have you ever wondered what those leaping lemurs eat, here at the Zoo? Well, check out the video blog below, and you will get to see one of our primate keepers putting out browse for the Coquerel's sifaka. She tells us what they like to eat and we get to see them enjoying their treats.

Gus Says: Time to Carpool!

2008-06-01T19:05:00.000-07:00

By Gus the Green tree frog

Hi there! It's Gus again, bringing you another addition of the Frog Blog.

Well, you probably know about the big I-5 freeway construction and closure that has started in downtown Sacramento. That is, unless you live in a cave (which some of my friends do!).

For the next six weeks there are going to be major traffic issues around Sacramento and the Zoo. You can check out the Fix I-5 website for all the details! So, what is the green solution? I've got a couple of ideas for you...

Carpool
I love this option! Most likely someone you work with or work near, also lives in your neighborhood. Email some coworkers and see if anyone wants to. Carpooling is very popular at the Zoo.

Ride Your Bike
Click here for a great bike map of Sacramento! You can avoid the I-5 freeway work by parking for free at the Regional Parks along the American River. Vist the Sacramento Regional Parks website for details and application forms.

Take Public Transportation
Many regional trasportation systems are offering increased service during the constrution to help everyone get where they are going.

Stay at Home
Can you telecommute? Then do it! What's better than finding a way around the mess, than just avoiding it altogether! Plus, how much fun is it to work in your pajamas?

Okay, so now you have your options to choose from. But there is just one more thing! Did you see what all those options have in common? Think hard... That's right, they are all green options for using less gas, polluting less and generally treating the environment a little nicer. After the I-5 freeway is all better, why not try using these alternatives at least once a week? You've already got it all figured out :)

Visit my very own webpage and learn more about me! That's all for now, and remember to BE GREEN!

Sleep at the Zoo

2008-05-30T08:28:00.000-07:00

by Katie, Overnight Coordinator

The 2008 Overnight season is well underway and both Zoo staff and Zoo animals are getting settled into the routine. The theme for this year’s Overnight Safaris is “Endangered Species Success Stories” and we are learning all about endangered species around the world. Zoo P.I.’s assistant needs your help to check in on the endangered species here in the Zoo and see what people around the world are doing to help them recover.

We are meeting some of our endangered ambassadors that help out in the education department as well as some of their counterparts out in the Zoo. We have been learning about the Thick-billed parrot Species Survival Plan (which is run by our very own Sac Zoo keepers); our Bongo that is now living out in Kenya; the amazing comeback of our very own state reptile, the Desert tortoise, and so much more!

We have fun new games to play like an animal sounds game, a bean bag animal protection game, and a fishing themed game of tag! We also have some brand new enrichments and additions to some old favorites. And of course we are still spending time with all of our favorite scaled, fuzzy and feathered nocturnal friends.

Everyone has been having a great time so far this summer and we hope that you can come and join us too. There is still room to sign up for the first Family Overnight of the season on June 13 so sign up now and join in on the fun!

Family Overnight Dates:
June 13th and 21st
July 5th, 12th and 18th
August 2nd, 8th and 15th

Wild Affair...already?

2008-05-28T10:44:00.000-07:00

By Zoo Blog Keeper

Wild Affair is our gala fundraising event that happens in October (the 4th to be exact) and includes behind-the-scenes tours, live and silent auctions, gourmet dinner and much more!

So, why are we talking about it in May?

Well, we have been working on it since February, the excitement is growing with the staff and we just thought we would share!

The silent auction is halfway full, and I spent a lovely afternoon driving around the foothills picking up a very nice assortment of donated wines from Camino, Fair Play and Plymouth. Next on the list is Napa and Sonoma. You probably guessed by now, we will have some great wine in the silent auction, including Silver Oak Cabernet and six different Jeroboam (3.0L) bottles.

The night will be themed around frogs, with the proceeds going to the Tall Wonders giraffe exhibit renovation, and Dave Bender will host the evening and live auction.

Keep an eye out - we will be building a webpage for Wild Affair soon, the save-the-date postcards are going out and there will be a booth and raffle at King of Feasts.

Mark your calendar for Saturday, October 4th, and check out the slideshow below for some highlights from last years fun!

Baby Lemurs

2008-05-22T09:24:00.000-07:00

By Zoo Blog Keeper

It's a girl, and a boy, and another boy! They are endangered Black and white ruffed lemur babies! They were born on May 4th and right now they are still inside their building - but sometimes you can see them jumping and playing through the access door. They will be let into the outdoor enclosure to join their father and siblings as soon as they are big enough to explore the exhibit on their own in a few months.

Check out the video below and see them when they were only two days old! Two of the babies move around the whole time, while the third sleeps through the whole thing.

And, you can watch them grow at our Lemur Baby Webpage. We will have up-to-date videos, pictures and details.

Question about lemurs and response

2008-05-19T12:09:00.000-07:00

Reply by, Leslie Field, Animal Care Supervisor
(in response to question below)

Jennifer,
We agree that the Ring-tailed lemur exhibit is outdated. As an 80-year-old Zoo, exhibit designs have changed since this was originally built around 50 years ago. We are challenged to find new ways to work with existing structures and we plan for future renovations.

Ring-tailed lemurs are more terrestrial than other lemur species and the Zookeepers change furniture and platforms from time to time and provide enrichment to encourage this natural behavior. In the Spring and Fall a good deal of sun gets through for sunbathing and their exhibit is one of the coolest in the Zoo when its 105 degrees outside in the Summer.

Renovating or expanding this exhibit is on our long range planning list and would include a complete rebuild of the existing structure. One big project currently underway is a brand new giraffe barn and exhibit renovation. We hope to have that complete in 2010 and will continue renovating older exhibits around the Zoo.

Question:

I have a question about one of your lemur exhibits. While the exhibits for the black and white ruffed lemurs and the sifakas seem to be very enjoyable for them, I was disheartened to see the ring-tails in their small shaded enclosure with a dirt floor. They weren't very active and one of them had to manuever quite a bit just to capture a little patch of sunshine! From reading the blog, I discovered that their enclosure was recently renovated with added platforms. But for a lemur species that spends a good amount of time on the ground as well as a good amount time sunbathing, it just seemed as if neither one of those items were as well addressed as they should be. Are there plans to further renovate or expand their enclosure?

Thank you for your time!
Jennifer

Hi, I'm Gus!

2008-05-15T15:53:00.000-07:00

By: Gus the Green tree frog

Hello everyone, I'm Gus the Green tree frog! Some of you might have met me at Wings of Spring on May 3rd. That was the first time I was out saying hi to folks and spreading my message: BE GREEN!

I'm just here to show you how to be green and hopefully inspire you to do it too!

You might know that there are tons of plastic water bottles out there and that almost all of them end up in the landfill. Since it takes them hundreds of years to break down, you can imagine the mountains of bottles we are just throwing away!

One solution, is to recycle! That plastic water bottle can have a whole new life as a new bottle, bag or scarf.

Another solution is to use a reusable container and and bring your water with you! That's what I do, and as a frog, I need a lot of water!

Since I like to use my own water bottle, I actually made one featuring me! They are a nice lightweight aluminum and come in red or blue.

If you want one, the nice folks at the Sacramento Zoo Membership office are selling them. They are just $8 for SacZoo Members and $10 for everyone else.

Stop in and pick one up! Start doing your part to be the solution.

Soon, I will have my very own webpage at http://www.saczoo.com/ and of course, I will keep blogging here (I'm the blog frog). Until then, look for me at the next Zoo event and remember, Be Green!

Coquerel's sifaka video

2008-05-07T14:51:00.000-07:00

By Zoo Blog Keeper

Did you know?..... the Sacramento Zoo is one of only 4 AZA accredited zoos to exhibit Coquerel's sifakas. Like many other types of sifaka, the Coquerel's sifaka is in danger of extinction in Madagascar.

A fun fact: With their powerful hind legs, sifakas can propel themselves more than 30 feet in a single jump! Come out and see our two sifakas on your next visit. Learn more about sifakas!

Lullabys for parrots

2008-05-03T17:00:00.000-07:00

By Interpretive Center Staff

It’s a web like a spider’s web
Made of silk and light and shadow
Spun by the moon in my room at night.

It’s a web meant to catch a dream
Hold it tight ‘til I awaken
As if to say, dreamin’s all right

-A song sung to Robbie, Eclectus parrot

As we leave for the day we give some extra love and attention to our Animal Ambassadors. Just as your child may like a bedtime story, our animals have nightly rituals that must be completed before they can sleep. Believe it or not, our birds enjoy a sweet lullaby before they tuck in. Of course we are happy to oblige; lucky for us they don’t care about pitch!

Lara sings to both Robbie and Julio (Blue and Gold Macaw) each and every night. Robbie enjoys it so much that he actually sings along. However, his lyric repertoire is limited to one note: La.

Brooke, our newest IC staff member, felt that the American Kestrel, Herbie, needed his own lullaby. Initially, the song was developed to calm him down when he was screaming, but it is now sung to him every night. In order to hear the song better, Herbie comes right up to the side of the cage (sometimes with dinner still in beak). He also puffs his feathers and bobs his head while she sings. After all the singing is completed and the lights are turned off, the staffers say “Go to bed, Julia” or “Goodnight, Julia” to our Thick-billed parrot, which she answers with her special goodnight call. She then climbs into her specially-made sleep sack, meant to simulate a tree nest and is off to sleep.

Gus, the Green tree frog

2008-05-02T16:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome Gus, the Green tree frog!!!!! Making special appearances at all your favorite Zoo events.

This Saturday at Wings of Spring, stop by the Make a Website Video booth (in front of the lake) and visit with Gus after you record your favorite SacZoo memory.

Gus Says: Be Green!

Turn off the lights when you leave a room:)