Put Me In The Zoo: Sacramento Zoo Review
Zoo visit date: December 26, 2011
Does this zoo satisfy the reviewer’s Inner-3-Year-Old by featuring his lifelong favorite animals, giraffes and elephants?
Partially yes, this zoo has Masai and reticulated giraffes.
Does this zoo have any animals that would excite a zoo aficionado?
The zoo has yellow-billed magpies, thick-billed parrots, Coquerel’s sifakas, and southern tamanduas.
Does this zoo have any immersion exhibits that would impress a zoo aficionado?
The Red Panda Forest is planted such that it does feel like a real forest. The jaguar exhibit is large and has a long stream and tropical plantings. There is a large lake with a big Chilean flamingo flock, crested screamers, and many North and South American waterfowl species.
Does this zoo have any good basic exhibits?
The lemur exhibit built in 2004 that houses the sifakas and black and white ruffed lemurs is excellent. The thick-billed parrots have a nice aviary. The North American river otters have a newly rebuilt exhibit that is very good, as is the giant anteater exhibit.
Does this zoo have any exhibits that should be bulldozed?
The spotted hyenas are in an old bear grotto. They are elderly and this exhibit should be closed when they pass. The small mammal house is old and should be replaced. The monkey exhibits and white-handed gibbon exhibits are small, outdated, and unattractive. The lion and tiger exhibits are very small by modern standards (but lushly planted). The chimp and orang-utan exhibits are relatively small. The orang exhibit does not have the climbing opportunities that are common in modern orangutan exhibits.
Does this zoo have any elements that make it particularly family friendly?
The Sacramento Zoo has a conservation-themed carousel, a “trackless” train that gives tram tours of the zoo, and has a very family friendly size and layout. There are animal talks given at various exhibits throughout the day.
Does this zoo have any interesting plans for the future?
The rumors circulating at the zoo are that the outdated monkey and gibbon exhibits will be removed and replaced with modern exhibits in the foreseeable future. A newly rebuilt entry complex with active, social animals like meerkats and penguins is also a possible future addition.
Would a zoo aficionado like this zoo enough to go out of his or her way to visit it?
Probably not. The zoo is in a beautiful park and is as much a botanical garden as it is a zoo. If one is in the Sacramento region or traveling through the Central Valley the zoo would likely be a pleasant stop, but it would likely not be on an itinerary of major zoos of North America. The zoo is consciously focusing on being a great zoo for the local region rather than a destination zoo and in my judgment is succeeding.
Zoo visit date: December 26, 2011
Does this zoo satisfy the reviewer’s Inner-3-Year-Old by featuring his lifelong favorite animals, giraffes and elephants?
Partially yes, this zoo has Masai and reticulated giraffes.
Does this zoo have any animals that would excite a zoo aficionado?
The zoo has yellow-billed magpies, thick-billed parrots, Coquerel’s sifakas, and southern tamanduas.
Does this zoo have any immersion exhibits that would impress a zoo aficionado?
The Red Panda Forest is planted such that it does feel like a real forest. The jaguar exhibit is large and has a long stream and tropical plantings. There is a large lake with a big Chilean flamingo flock, crested screamers, and many North and South American waterfowl species.
Does this zoo have any good basic exhibits?
The lemur exhibit built in 2004 that houses the sifakas and black and white ruffed lemurs is excellent. The thick-billed parrots have a nice aviary. The North American river otters have a newly rebuilt exhibit that is very good, as is the giant anteater exhibit.
Does this zoo have any exhibits that should be bulldozed?
The spotted hyenas are in an old bear grotto. They are elderly and this exhibit should be closed when they pass. The small mammal house is old and should be replaced. The monkey exhibits and white-handed gibbon exhibits are small, outdated, and unattractive. The lion and tiger exhibits are very small by modern standards (but lushly planted). The chimp and orang-utan exhibits are relatively small. The orang exhibit does not have the climbing opportunities that are common in modern orangutan exhibits.
Does this zoo have any elements that make it particularly family friendly?
The Sacramento Zoo has a conservation-themed carousel, a “trackless” train that gives tram tours of the zoo, and has a very family friendly size and layout. There are animal talks given at various exhibits throughout the day.
Does this zoo have any interesting plans for the future?
The rumors circulating at the zoo are that the outdated monkey and gibbon exhibits will be removed and replaced with modern exhibits in the foreseeable future. A newly rebuilt entry complex with active, social animals like meerkats and penguins is also a possible future addition.
Would a zoo aficionado like this zoo enough to go out of his or her way to visit it?
Probably not. The zoo is in a beautiful park and is as much a botanical garden as it is a zoo. If one is in the Sacramento region or traveling through the Central Valley the zoo would likely be a pleasant stop, but it would likely not be on an itinerary of major zoos of North America. The zoo is consciously focusing on being a great zoo for the local region rather than a destination zoo and in my judgment is succeeding.
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(remember my summer review?)
I hope in a few years when the new primate exhibits are built that perhaps you will have a chance to revisit the zoo and hopefully have a much better experience.