Sacramento Zoo

For his Senior Project, Trevor has been visiting sites related to wildlife biology to learn more about careers in the field. Wildlife rescues, sanctuaries, museums, and nature centers have been great locations for him to research and speak with staff. There is one more category with many career opportunities related to wildlife rehabilitation and conservation: AZA accredited zoos. 

On Thursday, Trevor and I headed to the Sacramento Zoo to see what we could learn about zoo careers in wildlife biology. 

I love the Sacramento Zoo. I visited multiple times during college and took Trevor several times when he was little. Our most recent visit was in 2012 when we attended their Boo at the Zoo Halloween event, so we were way overdue to return. It didn't feel like it'd been that long since we were last there, but that's probably because we've been busy visiting zoos all over the country for the last ten years. 

It was fun seeing what had changed at the Sac Zoo since our last visit. I loved seeing Donnie, the young capybara, hanging out with his dad. Capybaras are awesome. 

There's a baby giraffe, too. Meet Cheyenne. She's so cute. 

  

We always read all the signs at zoos, but we were especially diligent this time. The Keeper Notes that were displayed by many of the animals answered some of our questions and sparked others.  

No question about this, though. Black with white stripes. 

It was fun watching a Keeper deliver a massive amount of hay to J Gregory (5000 lb), Sac Zoo's first white rhino. He galloped toward her, eager to dive in to his delicious meal. Brayden (3 lbs 12 oz) eats grass hay too, but we don't have to buy nearly as much. 

I love watching meerkats.

Hello, Tortoise!

Hi, Red Pandas!

It was very interesting watching the zookeepers working with Cleo. She is 18 and one of the oldest lions in the world in human care. We didn't get to see Slamson II, a 3-year old male who was just brought to Sacramento. Cleo was very cooperative during her training session, doing all of the behaviors the Keeper asked her to do. 

  

Afterward, Trevor and I had a chance to talk with a Keeper and ask all of our burning questions. As it turns out, the woman we interviewed is a graduate of the same major that Trevor has applied to at UC Davis, so he was able to ask questions about that program as well. That really helpful. Among other things, she said that getting that first paid job after graduating is difficult, so it's very important to do volunteer work and unpaid internships throughout college in order to gain experience and make connections. 

It was really nice to have a leisurely visit to the zoo and not have to rush to something else (in sharp contrast with April 12, 2023). We really enjoyed looking at all the animals and learning from their Keepers. The Sacramento Zoo, while on the smaller side, is a wonderful zoo and I highly recommend a visit.

Make that visit soon, though - there is a New Zoo coming! It sounds amazing. With groundbreaking expected in 2025, it'll be awhile before it's open to the public. But I'll be following it very closely and the deRosiers will be among the first to visit when it does!