Sacramento Zoo Sacramento Zoo News

[Smaggledagle]

The naked mole rats are officially here now. They are indeed located in the reptile house.

SacramentoZoo on Instagram: "We are so excited to reveal that naked mole-rats are officially here, for the first time in Sacramento Zoo history! This October 4th, stop by the zoo to take a look at one of nature's weirdest wonders in our reptile house! Our education department will be on site with fun kid's activities, including making your own tunnel, as well as handing out one-of-a-kind naked mole-rat trading cards, from 9 am to 2 pm. Learn about the complicated group relationships of these African rodents and their critical role in their native ecosystem this October 4th here at the Sacramento Zoo! We hope to see you there!"

Interesting to note that in a reply to one of the zoo's Facebook posts teasing the species, a zookeeper from ABQ BioPark BUGarium in New Mexico commented that the mole rats were from that facility. I'm curious if naked mole rats are still located at ABQ, or if their colony was transferred to Sacramento.

 

[Nile Hippo Expert]

Serai, the clouded leopard who recently arrived, has died.
Sacramento Zoo's female clouded leopard Serai dies at age 14

 

[BenFoxster]

Based on this Instagram story you can get a slight glimpse of the naked mole rat enclosure’s exterior:

Watch this story by SacramentoZoo on Instagram before it disappears.

 

[Nile Hippo Expert]

As noted in the population thread by @IndianRhino, the zoo's female Okapi Kivuli gave birth to a healthy male calf on October 9th.
SacramentoZoo on Instagram: "The Sacramento Zoo is excited to share that on October 9, Kivuli, our female okapi, successfully gave birth to a healthy male okapi calf! This is the first okapi birth in Sacramento Zoo history. Kivuli and the calf are healthy. The pair will be off exhibit and not visible to the public for the next few weeks, to give both mom and calf time to adjust. Our animal care team and veterinary staff are observing the two closely during this period, and human interaction is limited to essential staff at this time. Okapi are Endangered according to the IUCN, with an estimated wild population between 10,000 to 15,000. The closest living relative to the giraffe, okapi are found in central Africa. The Sacramento Zoo works with the AZA’s Species Survival Plan (SSP) for okapi, which works with institutions to sustain okapi populations in North America. Within AZA, there are less than 100 okapis across around 30 institutions. This birth is not just an important milestone for the Sacramento Zoo, but a key contribution to AZA’s SSP and global conservation. This successful birth reflects teamwork across our animal care team, veterinary staff, facilities staff, horticulture team, nutrition, development, and leadership."

 

[Nile Hippo Expert]

Five capybara pups were born recently.
Sacramento Zoo's capybara gives birth to litter of five pups

 

[Nile Hippo Expert]

Julio the blue-and-gold macaw has died.
https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article312778676.html

 

[Nile Hippo Expert]

The zoo will have a new CEO in December, Dan Simon, who comes from a facility in Texas.
https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article312998483.html

 

[BenFoxster]

Serai, the clouded leopard who recently arrived, has died.
Sacramento Zoo's female clouded leopard Serai dies at age 14

Do they still have another clouded leopard?

 

[BenFoxster]

This is a bit old, posted back on October 21, but the zoo is currently updating their orangutan exhibit.

SacramentoZoo on Instagram: "Yesterday, we celebrated a groundbreaking for our orangutan habitat refurbishing project! We are excited to share our plans for enhancing our current orangutan habitat. The improvements will give our three resident orangutans new climbing opportunities, more shade, and even more enrichment possibilities. While the ceremonial groundbreaking was yesterday, construction begins October 27th. As our facilities team completes these renovations, our orangutan group will be out of public view, spending the winter and spring months in their behind-the-scenes spaces. Thank you to all the donors who made these improvements possible."

 

[Coelacanth18]

Do they still have another clouded leopard?

Yes, they still have the male Rajasi.