As a former DFW local, I really hope that the Zoo is able to pull much of this plan off and reinvigorate itself after years of gridlock and after the nightmare that was the animal theft scandal. Many locals have turned to making the 30+ minute drive to Fort Worth in recent years due to the lack of progress compared to Fort Worth's seemingly never-ending construction of new exhibits. While I still find some of the individual exhibits at Dallas to be more impressive/better from an animal welfare standpoint, it is hard to deny the stagnation. I will say that several of the plans shared in these documents are pushing two years old or older and are from several animal management teams ago, so as with any plan, the final product might look quite a bit different than what is shared here.
The Sacramento Zoo is excited to announce the arrival of a 3-year-old African lion with special help from the Sacramento Kings. Over the past 90 years, the Sacramento Zoo has played a crucial role in educating generations of visitors about the wonders of lions, and we are proud to continue this tradition with the addition of the young lion. As part of this exciting arrival, the Sacramento Kings and the Zoo are launching a strategic partnership based on a commitment to community and our shared mission of making the world a better place. We are thrilled to reveal that our new lion has been named "Slamson II" in honor of the beloved Sacramento Kings mascot, embodying the spirit of this exciting collaboration. Slamson II will be slowly introduced to his habitat with the chance to explore and get familiar with his surroundings a few hours at a time over the first several days. The Zoo’s longtime resident lion, 18-year-old female Cleo, and the young male will rotate public-facing habitat access. At this time, one of the lions will have habitat access during regular Zoo hours. A more formal schedule will be developed and shared as the animals continue to acclimate."