The concept images for a relocated Sacramento Zoo look very exciting, but I wish they had explored renovations at the existing site more compellingly.
The Biodiversity Center was planned to be the first major project of the 2017 Master Plan. Small animal exhibits can be great, but they can look underwhelming in concept images. Images of animals are a major selling feature of zoo exhibits. Only one of the three concept images for the Biodiversity Center has an image of animals (
Biodiversity Center | Sacramento Zoo - Sacramento, CA). I can make out an image of some fish in the last image and there might be a black snake resting on some branches too. The description of the exhibit mentions a variety of small animals, but no specific kinds. If you presented the concept images to most people without context they might have a hard time recognizing them as zoo exhibits. Many small animals displayed in zoos are strikingly beautiful. An image of a California mountain kingsnake, for example, could get people excited for the Biodiversity Center and give them an impression of the types of animals to expect there.
Space is certainly limited at the existing San Francisco Zoo site, but they could make creative use of vertical space. Forest, mountain, and ocean exhibits could house climbing and swimming animals. Instead of the horizontally focused proposed African Savanna (in the 2017 Master Plan) they could have a multi-level rainforest exhibit for orangutans and Malayan tapirs.
The biggest constraint of the existing Sacramento Zoo site is the lack of dedicated parking. It puts severe limits on the growth of the Zoo. An underground parking structure would be very expensive. If such a structure was built the surrounding neighborhoods might complain about increased traffic.
It might be best for the Sacramento Zoo to move, but before doing that they should more creatively present and explore uses of the existing zoo site.
