The Official Sacramento Zoo Blog

Puzzle Tubes, Leaves & Treats

2009-12-10T15:19:00.000-08:00

By Jaime Wilson, Zoo Blog Keeper

A couple of weeks ago we started taking pictures of some of the animals with their new enrichment "toys" that generous donors purchased at our Wild Affair event. Check out round one on the post "Toys, Browse & Worms".

Round two was last week and included the Red kangaroos, Bengal monitor and Giraffes.

First stop: Australian Outback
The Red kangaroos share an exhibit with Emu and Bennett's wallaby. They all get produce first thing in the morning, but today the Red roos got their toy too! It was a large, thick plastic ball that has big holes drilled into it. Treats are dropped inside and the roos have to roll the ball around until something falls out.

Second stop: Reptile House
When we talk about enrichments for the animals, we all think of big cats, birds, hoof stock - those seem like the standard. Reptiles enrichments? Well, that seems harder. The Bengal monitor is a fairly large and active lizard that eats crickets, so she gets a puzzle tube! It is an acrylic tube with drilled holes and caps at both ends. It is filled with crickets so the more it is moved around, the more crickets find their way out. She spent a lot of time chasing down all those crickets.

Third Stop: Tall Wonders Giraffe Habitat

Acacia is one of the Giraffes favorite foods and they can eat a lot! The Zoo has Acacia trees on grounds that are used to feed Giraffes and many other animals. As part of the newly renovated exhibit, more trees were purchased to increase our supply of browse for the three girls. The branch below was stripped clean of leaves in just a couple of minutes!

Throughout the year there are Keeper Chats in the afternoon that usually include an enrichment like these. Check out our calendar by day to see what's happen when you come to the Zoo!

New 6-year-old Orangutan

2009-12-02T13:41:00.000-08:00

By Lauren Kraft, Public Relations Coordinator

The Sacramento Zoo recently welcomed Makan to the Sumatran orangutan group. Makan is 6 years old and was born at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (CMZ) in Colorado Springs. Makan arrived in Sacramento in September and following his quarantine in the veterinary hospital, he was introduced to the two female orangutans. The Sacramento Zoo, the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and the Orangutan Species Survival Plan (SSP®) committee have been planning Makan’s move for about a year.

In September, CMZ staff began the drive from Colorado to California with Makan safely tucked away in a large crate. When he arrived, he was moved into our Zoo’s hospital quarantine area where he was monitored for any illnesses that could potentially be transmitted to resident animals. After he received a clean bill of health from the veterinarian, the young orang moved up to the Ape House to begin introductions to the exhibit and the resident orangutans.

Makan joined the Zoo’s two older females: Cheli is 37 years old and Ginger, at 54 years old, is the oldest Sumatran orangutan in a U.S. zoo. Right now, Makan looks like the females and weighs only 65 lbs. In a few years, he will go through a massive growth spurt, developing large amounts of muscle, gaining close to 200 pounds, getting large round cheek flanges, and growing long hair with a mustache and beard. It will be interesting to see Makan on exhibit interacting with the girls, but more interesting to the keepers is how the girls will interact with him! It has been a few decades for both of the females since they have lived with such a young male. He was introduced to the girls in the quiet night quarters away from distracting crowds. When he is on exhibit with Ginger and Cheli, he experiences new surroundings; Makan had never seen zebra or bongos which are viewable from his new home.

Toys, Browse & Worms!

2009-11-19T09:45:00.000-08:00

By Jaime Wilson, Zoo Blog Keeper

Yesterday was one of those "I love my job!" days.

As part of our Wild Affair fundraising event back in October, guests could buy an enrichment item for the animals. Enrichments are anything that is out of the ordinary for the animals that will stimulate their minds and get them thinking. Items included everything from puzzle tubes which hold worms to bubble machines.

We started taking pictures of the animals with their new items and thought you might like to tag along!

First stop: Snow leopards
Two balls (we call them Boomer balls), were rubbed down with the common household spice mace, and placed in their exhibit. When their den doors were opened they headed straight towards the new toys to check them out. They spent quite a bit of time sniffing, rubbing and even licking the spice which of course rolled the boomer balls around the exhibit.

Second stop: Black & white ruffed lemurs
Lemurs enjoy eating and playing with browse, so Zoo keepers cut branches from around the Zoo as an enrichment. Two fruitless mulberry trees were purchased and planted to add to our supply of fun and delicious branches. The lemurs even tried to help out with the camera equipment which I have to say, distracted the photographer and videographer for a bit.

Third stop: Coquerel's sifaka
The Coquerel's sifaka are another type of lemur and live right next door to the Black and white lemurs. They also enjoy their browse but can't eat as wide of a variety as other lemurs. Coprosma is one they enjoy and a dozen of them were purchased and planted around the Zoo. On this occasion, they were much more interested in the camera equipment than the plants, so I guess we were the enrichment for the day!

Last stop: Ground hornbills
Ground hornbills love their worms so for this enrichment flexible tubing was capped off at each end, holes are drilled into it and it is filled with worms! They spent their time moving the puzzle tubes around to try to get the worms to fall out. Each time they found one, they would pick it up with the tip of their bill then flick their heads up to toss it into their mouth.

Zoo keepers work hard to come up with new and inventive enrichments for the animals and our Afternoon Enrichment Talks give the visitors a chance to see them! Check out the calendar by day to see where the talks will be when you visit.

Recycle Rummage Sale

2009-11-13T16:39:00.000-08:00

By Jaime Wilson, Green Team Member

It's time for our semi-annual Recycle Rummage Sale! Come out the the Zoo Saturday, November 14 from 10 am to 4 pm and get a jump on holiday shopping. We have books, Christmas decor, lots of plush animals, collectibles, electronics, housewares, dish sets, purses, artwork and much more.

We had a Zoo Member Preview today, but there is still a great selection! As you can see from the pictures, the Kampala center is packed with stuff.

The sale is included with Zoo admission, so bring the family, enjoy the crisp weather and find a steal of a deal. All the proceeds benefit conservation efforts at the Zoo and around the world.

Boo at the Zoo 2009

2009-11-02T11:12:00.000-08:00

By Jaime Wilson, Zoo Blog Keeper & Ladybug

This year we extended Boo at the Zoo to two nights and apparently that is what people wanted because we had over 4,000 each night! It was our highest Boo attendance ever.

Thank you to the volunteers that worked those nights and to all the lions, ninjas, race car drivers, giraffes, Buzz Lightyears, transformers, princesses, fairies, and everyone else who came out for the night. You all looked fabulous!

Calling all Zoo Parents!

2009-10-28T10:38:00.000-07:00

By the Membership Department

Calling all parents!...Zoo Parents, that is.

To all you proud (Zoo) Parents out there, we have a shiny new board with your name on it… literally!

The Zoo Parent Showcase board has been tucked away between the Bateleur eagle exhibit and our Kampala Café for years… no longer! We are excited to present the all new Zoo Parent Showcase board located outside the Membership &Visitor Services office.

We are proud of all of our Zoo Parents and wanted to show it by putting your names right up at the front of the zoo! Thank you for showing your support by sponsoring our animals. Our Zoo Parents play a very important role in keeping us up & running. The money received through the Zoo Parent Program helps us feed, care for, and maintain the animal’s exhibits.

For more information visit our Zoo Parent program page or give us a call at (916)808-5888.
You can sponsor any animal in the Zoo (except for the employees)!

Sacramento Bee Article: The Good Life

2009-10-26T08:38:00.000-07:00

By Jaime Wilson, Zoo Blog Keeper

The Sunday edition of our local paper, the Sacramento Bee had a very nice article about the Zoo titled "The Good Life: Zoo visit brings a rediscovery of all the fun and wonder it offers" by Rick Kushman.

Read the article here and check out the slideshow here.

It's great to see people rediscovering the Zoo and appreciating the wonderful animals. Come out and see us soon!

Sacramento Zoo Tweetup - October 17

2009-10-15T11:54:00.000-07:00

By Jaime Wilson, Social Media Fan

The Sacramento Zoo had it's first ZooTweetup last June and we thought it was high time for another! Join us on Saturday, October 17 from noon to 3 pm in the Discovery Room (right by the front gate) for networking, live Twitter feed, Zoo crafts and light refreshments. We will also take a free group carousel ride and get a special animal encounter where we meet an Animal Ambassador!

If you are on Twitter, register here for half-price Zoo admission on Saturday, October 17 at 12 pm.

To catch people up, Twitter is a social media site where you can follow what people say, all in 140 characters or less. The Zoo has been on Twitter for almost a year and we share special deals, animal updates and other insider information for our followers. Now it's time for all us to meet up in person!

Make sure to register here! When you show up on October 17 th, you will check in at the front of the Zoo to get your name tags (they are your golden ticket to the half-price admission and activities) then head into the Discovery Room.

If you are already a Sacramento Zoo Member, please check in for your name tags then proceed to the Members Entrance and show your membership card.

And of course, we will be live tweeting the whole time! Tag your tweets with #zootweetup and they will show up on the screen during the tweetup.

Not on Twitter? Join here and follow the Zoo to find out more about the Zoo. If you are trying to find us our Twitter handle is @SacramentoZoo

Giraffe Barn Demolition

2009-10-12T14:42:00.000-07:00

By Jaime Wilson, Zoo Blog Keeper

The three giraffe girls made the transition to their new house a couple of weeks ago which put us into the next phase of the Tall Wonders giraffe exhibit renovation and expansion project - destruction!

That's right, the old giraffe barn came crashing down on a Thursday morning with almost all the Zoo staff looking on. I think we now understand how little kids can just watch big earth movers for hours on end. It was mesmerizing to see the wooden fence come out, and then the slow destruction of the barn starting at one corner and finishing near the new giraffe house.

It really is an end of an era seeing that barn come down and a bit sad since so many memories are wrapped up with it, but the new house is beautiful and state-of-the-art! Most importantly it will help keep the girls warm in the winter! Just in time for the cold weather.

The construction will continue now on finishing the middle part of the expanded yard so you will see a lot of dirt moving in the next few weeks.

Wild Affair: A West Side Story, Zoo Style

2009-10-07T15:04:00.000-07:00

Michelle Gardner, Reservation Specialist

Each year, Zoo staff and a host of volunteers put together a wonderful fundraising event called Wild Affair. The proceeds from this event go directly to the Tall Wonders, giraffe exhibit renovation and expansion project. Dave Bender is our host and auctioneer for the evening, and no one could do it better!

In addition to awesome silent and live auction items, the staff puts together a show for the guests to make the live auction "come to life". From Maintenance to Membership, from Animal Care to family members - everyone gets involved. With the stunning help of Ed Goldman and his daughter Jessica (who works at the Zoo), the artistic and creativity juices sprung into action around August to make sure the show was perfect.

The show this year was taken from A West Side Story and given zoo flare to create A Land Park Story. There were lions, tigers, no bears, but great hornbills, bongos, red pandas, and a hyena that stole the show. Don’t worry, no animals were harmed during the making of the show, it was all staff!

I am amazed at the talent the Goldman family and staff posses to create the great costumes, lyrics, music, choreography, power point, and so much more. If you have not had the pleasure to see the show live, I highly recommend attending in 2010; it’s the best show in town!

Volunteer "Chalks it Up!"

2009-09-29T16:44:00.000-07:00

By Valorie Schneider, Volunteer Coordinator

Karyn Ruth Cheng, a long time Sacramento Zoo volunteer, participated in this years “Chalk It Up” in downtown Sacramento over the Labor Day weekend. She has been sharing her love of the Zoo for many years at this event which raises funds for children’s art education in the Sacramento region.

Karyn chose the Sacramento Zoo mascot, Gus the Green tree frog as her chalk square. The Zoo sponsored Karyn this year and we thank her for her dedication to the Zoo. Gus also Thanks her as he is a very important part of the Zoo and just loves it when people talk about him!

Thanks Karyn, for all your support and bringing the Zoo to Chalk It Up 2009!

The Other Side of the Moat - Part 3

2009-09-21T12:35:00.000-07:00

By Scott Johnston, Keeper-Aide Volunteer

August 28, 2009

8 a.m.
No matter how bulky the bars or how sturdy the locks; stepping inside the Sacramento Zoo’s super-sized kitty-house is still a check-the-heart-rate moment.

Accompanied by keeper Kate, I made a brief stop in the proverbial “lions den”, home to the zoo’s Sumatran tigers, African lions, and Jaguars and small cats – Geoffroy and Margays. Needless to say it was a very humbling way to kick off my third day of participating in the Zoo’s Keeper Aide program.

Paying careful attention to my distance from each cat’s den I made my way past each enclosure, stepping along on the safe side of a white line painted down the middle of the floor. The fluidity of each animal’s movement was mesmerizing and I couldn’t help but meet their gaze as I slipped past on my way to a small room where their special diets are prepared.

A “small” female Sumatran tiger watched curiously as I moved by.
House cats they are not, they don’t drink milk from saucers and they don’t play patty cake with balls of yarn. These incredibly powerful, yet highly endangered, creatures hale from the Island of Sumatra in Indonesia. Females weigh between 165 and 240 pounds fully grown. These cats and their keepers are all business and after a brief look at how their breakfasts are prepared, Kate and I move on to another of my personal favorites – the Giant anteaters.

This couple reminds me of two rather large, yet laid-back dogs, standing three feet tall and weighing around 120 pounds. At night they sleep curled up head to tail inside their own personal kennels. In the wild Giant anteaters sleep in hollowed out depressions in the ground for upwards of 15 hours each day, covering their bodies with their long tails. Grey in color with thick, shaggy fur and a bold black and white shoulder stripe, the Giant anteater possesses a long, tubular snout set on a narrow head and short, stout legs.

While the two slurp down large helpings of a tasty, milk shake-like concoction of 2 kinds of blendered chow, water and orange juice, I work on their outer enclosure, hosing out the inside of their swimming hole and polishing the large window pane that fronts the exhibit.

As their name suggests, in the wild ants make a large portion of the anteater’s diet. In captivity, however, the anteaters evidently didn’t get the memo. As I move along the front of the enclosure I can’t help but notice a long trail of ants marching along unhindered – enrichment!.

Of the four species of anteater, the Giant anteater is the most vulnerable.
Their fairly nonchalant personality makes them targets for being hunted throughout their range for meat, skins and as trophies. Some indigenous people still mistakenly believe anteaters kill cattle and dogs. When they finish their meals we move them back outside where the female quickly finds a sunny patch of dirt for a nap and the male heads out to patrol the perimeter.

Giant anteaters are solitary animals except for breeding pairs or mothers with offspring. If an encounter between two individuals does occur, they will usually ignore one another, that seems to be the case with these two as well.
Although they can be active both day and night, they prefer a more nocturnal existence near people and civilization.

Their long, sharp claws are excellent for ripping open termite mounds discovered with their keen sense of smell. They force their snout inside and use their two-foot long, sticky tongue to lick up the insects inside, carefully avoiding any soldier ants. While these two appear unassuming and approachable, they, just like all exotic animals, are very unpredictable.

Their sense of hearing compensates for their poor eyesight and alerts the anteater to predators in the area. Their claws are so sharp they are even able to kill a jaguar in defense. Because these claws do not retract, they have evolved to walk on the outer sides of their feet with the claws curled upward and inward.

Next up is one of the Sacramento Zoo’s matriarchs, the female the Spotted Hyena. She watches us intently as we move into her den. At 25 years old, standing nearly three feet tall and weighing close to 130 pounds she has been at the zoo for 14 years.

The Spotted hyena is the most numerous of the three hyena species though it is far from abundant. They have been exterminated in most of South Africa and greatly reduced in many areas of their savanna range. Primarily threatened by loss of habitat and reduction of large hoof stock prey to poachers, they are also hunted for fear they will hurt livestock.

After a yummy meat treat from Kate, the hyena waits patently while I clean one side of her den before assuming my next job as her personal pool man, draining, scrubbing and refilling her water hole.

After Kate moves her from her primary sleeping quarters I give it a once over with the hose and disinfectant before adding fresh straw to her bed and leaving a nice helping of feline diet biscuits as a treat. All the while, just feet away, she keeps a close, silent vigil on my progress. This is one boss I don’t want to cross.

While viewing the animals from the public perspective is great, my time backstage with the carnivores once again gave me a perspective on some of nature’s most powerful predators that I could never get anywhere else.
I can’t wait to see what happens next week on The Other Side of the Moat.

Stay tuned…

Gus & Dinger at the River Cats

2009-09-11T13:24:00.000-07:00

By Gus the Green tree frog

Hi Everyone! You probably remember my last blog about the fun time I had at Dinger's birthday party - he's the mascot for the River Cats here in Sacramento. A bunch of us mascots got together and played a great game of kickball. Well, here are some more pictures of the fun!

Hanging out before the game.

Chatting between runs.

Hoping he doesn't throw that ball to me!

Waiting for the next kick.

Running to the outfield.

My slide into home base!

Summer Camp "Game" Show

2009-09-08T14:38:00.000-07:00

By Jaime Wilson, Zoo Blog Keeper

One of the coolest Summer Camp classes, in my opinion, is where the kids actually put on a show for the public! Every year our Interpretive Center staff spends a lot of time coming up with a theme for their show. They write the storyline and script, incorporate educational facts and animals. Then they practice, practice, practice!

Well, the Zoo Camp kids get to do all of that in one week! This year they choose "I survived that animal game show, game show." And they did all the work then performed it for a packed amphitheater on the last day of camp.

Take a look at all their hard work!

PART ONE -- Link to the video, Part 1

PART TWO -- Link to the video, Part 2

The Other Side of the Moat - Part 2

2009-09-01T18:25:00.000-07:00

By Scott Johnston, Keeper-Aide Volunteer

August 21, 2009

8 a.m.
Staggering out of bed at sunrise and driving for a half an hour across town to clean bird droppings and sort frozen mice probably would not be most people’s idea of a great start to a birthday celebration. I, on the other hand, can’t think of a better way to kick off my 38th year on earth.

My second day in the Keeper Aide program at the Sacramento Zoo got off to a raucous start when I was assigned to assist with the feeding and cleaning of the many birds on exhibit at the zoo.

Now it’s well documented that I’ve always been an animal buff. However, birds have never been high on my personal favorite list. It’s nothing personal; I’ve just always been more interested in other types of creatures.

After hooking up with keepers Amanda and Scott, it didn’t take long for me to realize our beak-baring, feathered friends have a lot to offer in the personality department too.

First up was cleaning and feeding the zoo’s male and female Abyssinian Ground Hornbills.

In the wild these large, black birds can be found in the Sub-Saharan Africa, north of the equator including southern Sudan, Ethiopia, northern Kenya and northern Uganda. They prefer open-country, sparse woodlands; savannas and forest edges and can grow up to 39 inches tall, weigh nearly nine pounds and live 35 to 40 years.

The mischievous male hornbill, greets us at the gate to get first dibs on his meal of mice, vegetables and mealworms. Yum!

A trusting sort, he quickly attempts to employ me as his personal safe deposit box, repeatedly trying to guide his black seven-inch long dagger-like beak into the top of my boot. His mission being, I’m told, to stow his mouse meal in a safe spot.

Thankfully, the keeper proves to be quite skilled at deflecting Mark’s friendly advances, cleverly thwarting Mr. Persistent with a rake and a smile. I exit my new BFF’s house mouse-free Next we moved on to the Buton and Great Hornbill.

A hard plastic construction helmet and protective eye ware hanging outside the Great Hornbill enclosure catches my eye.

Not wanting to seem overly anxious I casually inquire about the items. Amanda points out that the gear is merely a safety precaution that keepers must wear when inside the Great hornbill exhibits due to the fact that the birds powerful beak (they’re called Hornbills for a reason) could easily cause damage.

Next I’m told that this is one enclosure I will enjoy from the outside due to large male’s rambunctious, rough and tumble nature.

The Buton Hornbills are a happy couple and prove too be more my speed, quietly watching from above as I move about cleaning their comfortable home.

The male of the house indulges me with his super cool beak-to-eye coordination, deftly snatching grapes I toss up to him and then carefully passing every other one off to his mate, a wonderful display of pair harmony.

Burrowing Owls and Yellow-billed Magpies are our next stop. Yellow-billed Magpies may seem like an odd choice to keep in a zoo, but they in fact can only be found in California’s central valley.
A slightly morbid scavenger hunt is next on the list as I move about the Burrowing Owl aviary. Searching high and low, I must find, remove and replace tattered mice carcasses. I swear I could hear the four tiny owls hooting with laughter as I wrinkled my nose and gingerly swapped out their meal.

After returning to the kitchen Scott asked if I had any interest in helping him sort dead mice. Would I?! “Gloves or no gloves?” he asked with a wry smile. “Even though they’re dead, they can still scratch you.”

Seeing he was going bare handed, I opted to go commando-style as well. Not knowing what to expect next, I watched as Scott produced a large trash bag chock-full of frozen mice in a plethora of colors, shapes and sizes.

The task was simple; break them apart and sort them into small, medium and large piles. Hey, birds have to eat too!

While this proved to be an “interesting” task, I nearly dislocated my right shoulder raising my hand when Amanda asked for assistances with the Thick-billed Parrot enclosure.

Hanging with this entertaining bunch proved to be a great way to finish out day two. Green with splash of red on their heads, this endangered Mexico native is curious and fun loving. They wasted no time introducing themselves, buzzing me with flybys and even taking a special interest in trying to untie my bootlaces.

Overall my day with the birds turned out to be equal parts enjoyable and educational.

I can’t wait to see what happens next week on The Other Side of the Moat.

Stay tuned…

Find out more about the birds at the Zoo with fact sheets, pictures and videos on our birds of the Zoo webpage.

Farewell Jim

2009-08-25T15:26:00.000-07:00

By Jaime Wilson, Zoo Blog Keeper

For 17 years the Sacramento Zoo has had a secret weapon. A formidable force of constant support, patience, dedication, a nice moustache and one pair of shorts (just for Ice Cream Safari). Our curator Jim, has lead the Zoo through many changes, ups and downs, building projects, temporary exhibits, 3 am phone calls, accreditations, and put up with a lot of our wacky antics along the way. So many antics, that you'll always see him hanging out by the closest door at any party or event with a very clear exit strategy.

Jim has been the man-behind-the-scenes for the Dr. Murry Fowler Veterinary Hospital, the Conservation Carousel, the Tall Wonders giraffe exhibit expansion, and spring exhibits from bugs to dinosaurs, mazes to penguins, white alligators to white tigers and involved with almost every aspect of what you see when you visit the Zoo including the giant frog on the Reptile House. It would take days to list all his accomplishments and the impact he has made at the Zoo.

This week marks the last of his days with his family at the Sacramento Zoo before he moves on to his new home with the Reid Park Zoo. We wish him the best of luck and know he will make his mark there as he has made his mark in Sacramento.

Personally, it has been a joy working with Jim for the last 10 years even though I can safely say I was completely intimidated the first year. Some days I'm sure he wishes I still was!

From the bottom of our hearts - Thank you Jim!

The Other Side of the Moat

2009-08-19T10:58:00.000-07:00

By Scott Johnston, Keeper-Aide Volunteer

August 14, 2009

8 a.m.
I’ve arrived! After 27 years of waiting, contemplating and hesitating I’ve finally made my way to the rear entrance of the Sacramento Zoo for my first day in the Keeper Aide program.

Just two weeks prior my life long adoration of all creatures great and small led me to the zoo’s Website and finally Volunteer Coordinator Valorie Schneider. After the mandatory orientation I was ready to go…

Next stop – The Other Side of the Moat.

Feelings of excitement (Oh, man, I can’t wait to sidle up to a Giraffe), anxiety (what if I don’t get to sidle up to a Giraffe?) and apprehension (what if I have to sidle up to a Giraffe?) fill my head as I’m buzzed in.

After making my way through the initial getting-settled-in formalities I find out that I will be assigned to the Ungulates, i.e. giraffes, zebras, bongos and ostriches, etc… YES!

While all the animals are fantastic (there are four other groups, primates, birds, carnivores and reptiles that I will be working with in the future) this is the bunch I am most excited about.

While I’m waiting for the keepers I’ll by assisting I try to look as much like a seasoned veteran as possible. My wardrobe, however, screams rookie.
Volunteer’s Keeper Aide T-shirt - Check.
Yellow and red nametag - Check.
Strange looking half rubber, half leather boots, recycled from a long-lost equestrian career - Check.

I’m set. Now what?

Ungulate experts Lindsay and Melissa arrived shortly there after and we we’re off! To most people mixing it up in the dirt, dung and dietary divisions required to care for a variety of large herbivore would not be the highlight of their day at the zoo. Not so for me, I enjoy the dirty work.

I spend the first part of my morning sifting through giraffe droppings, remaking straw beds and using a step ladder to clean water and food buckets that hang more than seven feet above the ground. All the while Skye, a 13-foot tall, and 11-year old reticulated giraffe, who has assigned herself as my foreman and keeps a watchful eye on me from just outside her barn, carefully critiques my work.

Skye shares the barn with roommates Guddy (11-years old, 13-feet tall) and Val, who is also 14-years old and stands 14-feet tall. The reticulated giraffe is the most well known of the nine giraffe subspecies, and is by far the giraffe most commonly seen in zoos.

9:45 a.m.
After the giraffes Lindsay, Melissa and I move on to the Bongo enclosure. The Bongo is the largest and heaviest forest antelope. Both males and females have spiraled lyre-shaped horns. The bright chestnut colored Bongos are found in rain forest with dense undergrowth. Specifically they are found in the Lowland Rain Forest of West Africa and the Congo Basin to the Central African Republic and Southern Sudan. Large-scale and continuous hunting has completely eliminated bongos in some areas.

While the keepers move the two females and one male into a holding pen I stay just out of sight breaking up alfalfa and dropping it into their feeding troughs.

The Bongo is a shy, flighty animal and the less stress the better when interacting with them.
We then move around the enclosure picking of droppings and laying out a vegetable treasure hunt consisting of small piles of lettuce, yams and other greens that are placed intermittently throughout the enclosure and serve as treats for the trio.

11 a.m.
After a short break my last stop of the day is at the enclosure shared by the zoo’s population of Red Kangaroos, Emus and Bennett’s Wallabies. These animals are quite laid back allowing me to move about freely while collecting the droppings.

While the four male ‘roos hang out off to the side and Wallabies hide out indoors, the two female Emus cruise along with me as a I make my way around. At four to five feet tall the birds can be intimidating, but Melissa assures me that the two large girls have been raised at the zoo since they were young and are quite used to keepers being near.

Before leaving the enclosure I’m allowed to hand-feed Pogo, the most social of the red kangaroos. He calmly sprawls in the sun as I feed him a handful of leaves and corn. He takes it much like a dog eating a treat.

Overall I have to say my four-hour day felt like 20 minutes. The interaction with the animals was awesome and unexpected and the “close-up” aspects of the program were extremely educational. I feel as though I’ve discovered a hidden voluntary gem and I can’t believe there aren’t more animal lovers breaking down the gate to do this.

I can hardly wait to see what else is in store on The Other Side of the Moat.

Stay tuned…

Find out more about volunteer opportunities at the Sacramento Zoo volunteer webpage.

Dave Bender & Sacramento Magazine

2009-08-14T12:17:00.000-07:00

By Marisa Hicks, Marketing Coordinator

Dave Bender of CBS13 came by the Zoo today for a photo shoot! Sacramento Magazine has an article coming out in September about him and they needed a good picture. He was once a zoo animal trainer before his days of weatherman fame here in Sacramento, so they wanted pictures of him with animals. Of course, we were happy to oblige!

Dave is a great supporter of the Sacramento Zoo. He has been the Master of Ceremonies for the Zoo's biggest fund-raiser for many years and is doing a repeat performance at Wild Affair on October 3, 2009. As the auctioneer, he makes it the wildest live auction in town!

What kind of bird is that?

2009-08-10T10:55:00.000-07:00

By Jaime Wilson, Zoo Blog Keeper

Ask any Zookeeper... the most frequent question they hear is "What kind of animal is that?", while people point at the human cleaning the exhibits or feeding the animals.

Well, on a recent summer morning a man was spotted in the middle of Lake Victoria! This was definitely an odd sighting, but we confirmed that it was just one of our sure-footed Zookeepers armed with a fire hose doing some maintenance and cleaning in the lake.

Even the Zoo staff stopped to take a second look and ask "what kind of bird is that?".

Molly the Snow Leopard's New Home

2009-08-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

By Lauren, Sacramento Zoo Teen

It was a hot and humid day in New York City as I trekked through Central Park to the Central Park Zoo. I was excited to see the new exhibit hosting Snow Leopards - one of them our very own Molly! Before leaving for vacation I had read that Molly the snow leopard from the Sacramento Zoo had been transferred to the Central Park Zoo.

Inside, the animals I first went to see were the sea lions because the trainers were just about to do a feeding show. They were in a huge clear tank in the middle of a courtyard swimming around and doing flips. I really wanted to be in that water with them because it looked so refreshing! After I left the sea lions, I moved on to see the penguins waddling around and the polar bear exhibit. Except there were no polar bears - I guess it was too hot outside for them that day. A little disappointed, I moved on the the main event - the snow leopards!

Right away I knew I would see one of the snow leopards, hopefully Molly, because a whole bunch of little kids and their parents were gathered around the glass window. The exhibit was large and full of bushes and trees. Laying on a rock right next to the window was a beautiful sleeping snow leopard. I wasn't sure if it was Molly or not, but it made me happy enough that I saw one and that I got a fantastic picture! Reading the nearby placards, I discovered that Molly just recently gave birth to the most adorable baby snow leopard. The father, George, was from the Bronx Zoo.

My visit to the Central Park Zoo was tons of fun! I'm sad that we no longer have Molly at our zoo, but I'm glad she seems to be doing very well in her new life at the New York City Zoo.

Molly as a cub at the Sacramento Zoo with mom - 2006

Gus Says: Play Ball!

2009-07-31T13:34:00.000-07:00

By Gus, the Green tree frog

Kickball that is! It was a very hot summer day at Raley Field. The Rivercats had another baseball game to win, but the most important thing happening that day was Dinger’s 10th Birthday (Dinger is the Rivercats mascot if you didn’t know). Since I’m, the Sacramento Zoo’s mascot. I was one of many Dinger’s friends invited to come out and celebrate.

Part of the celebration was Gus meeting the fans at the game. There were lots of high-fives, thumbs-up, and picture taking. I just loved hearing how many people enjoy the Zoo. It was the best feeling.

There was a little competition amongst friends with a game of kickball. I must say, I did pretty well never having played before. After all I am a frog! It was my turn to kick and the kick was good. I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it to first in time, but I did. It was a fun and hilarious game.

The best play of the game was when I took off from second, made it to third and was headed for home. Just before I could reach home plate, the other team was able to get the ball to their catcher, Dinger. Dinger tagged me out and sent me flying backwards, frog feet in the air and everything! Oh what a sight! I wasn’t hurt and Dinger and I are still good friends.

So get together with some of your friends and visit the Zoo. You should carpool too! Remember what Gus says…"Be Green!"

Giraffe House Sneak Peek

2009-07-27T13:43:00.000-07:00

By Jaime Wilson, Zoo Blog Keeper

Last week, we donned hard hats and the Zoo Curator took us on a tour of the new Giraffe house. The progress is impressive and the attention to detail is amazing! The inside walls that will split the space into dens will arrive in the next couple of weeks, but for now, it's a huge open building.

Take a look at our tour - the descriptions are below the pictures.

You can see how tall the building is compared to the people!

This is a deck for the keepers to get eye-to-eye with the Giraffes for feeding, vet exams and training. The window is for loading hay through via a forklift and you can see the Giraffe-shaped sculpture out the window that decorates the edges of the building.

The thinner door you see will lead to a room with a in-floor scale and a Giraffe "hugger" - a way to hold the Giraffes still for vet exams.

The second floor will be for storage of feed, hay and other essentials. The downstairs closed in area will have an office, bathroom and prep area.

This will be a large door where we can access the second floor storage with a fork lift.

The small windows are so that the keepers can see the animals out in the yard from inside the building. You can also see the skinny door again from the outside.

Can you see the tree? They used different colored stone to make a mosaic tree on the side of the building. You can also see the many Giraffe heads decorating the roof line.

We are still raising money for this huge project. If you would like to help, please donate here.

A Reporter in a Chicken Costume

2009-07-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

By Jaime Wilson, Zoo Blog Keeper

This morning Good Day Sacramento came by the Zoo to do a news spot on our upcoming event, Ice Cream Safari. It seemed pretty straightforward. Ask Laurie to be on camera. Get ice cream. Pick a spot to stand. Talk to Cody Stark.

Then here comes Cody dressed in a big ol' chicken costume! The microphone is actually in the beak of the chicken so the entire time he is interviewing Laurie, he has to lean in so close that it looks like he is trying to bite her head off. Needless to say the segment was pretty funny!

For more information or to purchase, visit the Ice Cream Safari webpage.

Amina in Arts Camp

2009-07-20T09:33:00.000-07:00

By Andreea, Summer Camp Mom

My daughter attended Art Week for 2 graders at the Sacramento Zoo camp this year for the first time.

A long time ago we democratically chose between more camp options and summer activities, and this looked to her (and to me) to be the most appealing. It proved to be the best choice I have ever made in terms of child activity!

For her, it was a big thing. For me, the perfect combination between education, vacation, bonding time and time for mommy alone. Since we live in the Foothills Country side, and driving back and forth wasn’t worth it, we stayed at the hotel, and had enough time and energy to explore the town in the afternoons. I bargained my way for at least one museum visit per day, among many other fun activities, like ice cream and Candy Factory, which I am sure my daughter would have loved to do every day – 6 hours per day....

My daughter is just about to enter her “Miss Independent " phase, so before we came to this vacation, I was a little bit unsure how my role as a mother is changing, too. Well, that became very soon clear on the first day of camp. She wanted me to stay with her “because she needs a mommy", which put my heart back in the right place again! For the next days I became pretty much the taxi driver, but that was OK, because we had reconnected again.

I observed with admiration the enthusiasm of all the teachers and the camp principal. Boy, I wish I would have that early in the morning! They sang and danced and did funny faces everyday, to the excitement of all kids, and they really meant it! I think there is something for every parent to learn from every educator, this real engagement and enthusiasm they all brought in to really be there for the kids, to offer them their best knowledge and entertainment, and at the same time to set clear rules and limits. I liked it that they had “to be safe” as the first camp rule, and my daughter of course liked “to have fun” being the most important rule as well!

I was amazed how much she had learned every day, how comfortable I was to leave her there, and how much the Zoo will feel so different for sure at our next visit!

Children at the Zoo camp learn respect towards animals, learn to quickly associate with a new group, accept and learn from new companions and educators, and have a fun vacation at the same time!

I also liked it that they have older teenagers take care of the little kids, my daughter wants to do that one day , too .

All together, we are grateful for this experience. I asked my daughter this morning, on the last camp day, what to write in the report. And she looked at me and gave her ultimate decisive verdict answer: “It was good!” So you know it now!

I’m pretty sure we'll be back next year again - and maybe then, who knows, we will hang out more by the pool and at the ice cream stand, instead of conquering that town like a whirlwind!

Thank you for providing this opportunity,
Andreea

And here is a slideshow of the final art show!

Twilight Tuesday - South of the Border

2009-07-17T13:14:00.000-07:00

Marisa Hick, Marketing Coordinator

The South of the Border Night this past Twilight Tuesday was a hot blast of fun. Despite the heat, Los Elegantes delivered a great show for us to enjoy the eats, drinks and dancing.

Victor of the non-profit organization Ritmos joined us for the evening as well. They are a group that teaches about culture through the Latin rhythms. We were glad that they could join us.

If you made it out we hope that you enjoyed yourself, if not you can make it out next week. Remember, if you are a Sacramento Zoo member it is free!

Next Twilight Tuesday on July 21, we are featuring Travel in Time 60’s and 70’s Car Show, live entertainment provided by The Q Balls and a Slider Trio dinner special that we are expecting to be fantastic.

Enjoy the slideshow: