River Cats Zoo Night!

Have you ever seen a cat in a turtle shell?

You can come see it and some great baseball at Raley Field, Friday, May 31 when you cheer on the Sacramento River Cats and support the Zoo!

Sacramento River Cats players will wear a special edition turtle shell print jersey that simply cannot be missed (shown below). Dinger will be sporting one too! Through the game you can bid on these jerseys in a silent auction on the concourse. Net proceeds will go to the Sacramento Zoo. If you win, at the end of the game, the jersey on your favorite player (or Dinger) could be yours!

Get to your seats early to see Gus the Green Tree Frog, our Zoo mascot, throw out the first pitch! Dinger will be rooting him on with you. 

Purchase your tickets here and enter the special offer code “saczoo”, when prompted. A portion of ticket sales through this link will also go back to support the Sacramento Zoological Society.

Go wild for our home team and support the Sacramento Zoo! The Zoo crew will also be there, and may have a treat for you. We’ll see you there.

 

Baby Mongoose Lemur

The pair of Mongoose Lemurs that live across from the Tall Wonders giraffe deck had a baby! Mom gave birth during the day on Saturday, May 11th to her second baby. Their first youngster is also in the enclosure and learning important parenting skills from watching her mother with this infant.

The mom carries her infant like a fanny pack so you will see the baby around her waist. The sex of the baby will be known in a few months. The throat will stay white if it's a female but change to a rust-brown if it is male.

The whole family is on exhibit now. This species of lemur is monogamous and the typical “group”  is an adult pair and their offspring, usually one per year. Adults weigh just over 3 lbs.

Like other lemur species they are found on the island of Madagascar. Approximately 200 years ago they were also introduced to the Comoro Islands by man.  Mongoose Lemurs are endangered and under extreme pressure in their range habitats due to forests becoming fragmented and degraded and also from hunting. 

Mom & baby with big sister. Photo credit: Mike Owyang.

Baby Mongoose Lemur. Photo credit: Mike Owyang.

 

Mom with 1 day old baby. Photo credit: Christa Klein.

Tiger Cub, Week 10 Update & Video

At almost 20 lbs, CJ the Sumatran Tiger cub is developing well and in his 10th week. All of his teeth have come in, he is drinking water and trying out moms chow biscuits but is still nursing. CJ is becoming much more agile and practicing his jumping, pouncing and running skills.

You can see him grooming, pestering mom, jumping around and biting his own tail in the video below.

63 days old. Photo credit: Erik Bowker.

63 days old. Photo credit: Erik Bowker.

64 days old. Photo credit: Erik Bowker.

65 days old. Photo credit: Erik Bowker.

69 days old. Photo credit: Erik Bowker.

69 days old. Photo credit: Erik Bowker.



Wolf's Guenon is Named Zuri!

The Sacramento Zoo’s charismatic Wolf’s Guenon monkey, born on January 26th, 2013 has a name. With 96,389 votes from the public, the name “Zuri” has been chosen. Zuri means good, nice, pretty, lovely and cute in Swahili. Five names, submitted by Zoo employees, were presented to the public as potential names for the baby guenon.

Wolf’s Guenons are native to central Africa where they inhabit forests and forage for fruits, seeds, and an occasional insect. Forming loose family groups in the wild, these monkeys are even known to spend time with other primate species including Bonobos, Colobus Monkeys and other guenons. A larger mixed-species group may mean that there are more eyes on the lookout for predators, and many guenons have learned to recognize other monkeys’ alarm calls so that they know how to respond correctly if a neighbor spots a leopard or eagle.

The guenon family is currently on exhibit at the Zoo’s Lower Monkey House awaiting the completion of Small Wonders, a soon-to-be renovated habitat across from Tall Wonders (the giraffe deck). Small Wonders will encompass three distinct animal living areas and will house exciting new species to the Sacramento Zoo. In addition to the Wolf’s Guenons, the Zoo will welcome Straw-colored Fruit Bats, Aardvarks, Banded Mongooses and several African birds, including Red-billed Hornbills and Crested Guineafowl.

Photo by Mike Owyang

M.O.M Day Book & Bake Sale - AAZK Fundraiser

Bring the whole family, and treat the mom in your life with a trip to the Zoo! The American Association of Zookeepers (AAZK) is hosting their fourth annual Missing Orangutan Mother’s (M.O.M.) Day book and bake sale on Saturday, May 12 from 9 am to 3 pm at the orangutan exhibit.

This event brings public awareness to the plight of orangutans in the wild and how they are excellent mothers.  All of the baked goods are palm oil free and the proceeds will support orphaned wild orangutans. 

 

By participating, you’re not making a mom feel special, you’re contributing to an excellent cause.  There will be activities for kids, treats given to the orangutans throughout the day and a display of paintings made by our very own Zoo animals!  Hope to see you out there!

New Style of Birdies on the Golf Course

During the 12th Annual Swingin’ Safari Golf Tournament, feathered friends from the Sacramento Zoo will observe golfers as they strive to score a birdie. The Sacramento Zoological Society will host the Swingin' Safari Golf Tournament on Monday, May 20th at El Macero Country Club in Davis.

Open to all skill levels, this benefit golf tournament raises funds for the Zoo’s educational programs that reach students of all ages with onsite programming with animals and community outreach.

Beginning at 11:30 am, the day includes lunch followed by a unique putting contest only the Zoo can offer. Hosted drinks will also be available throughout the day. Have you ever had to putt past a live boa constrictor and tenrec or under the watchful eye of a Harris’ Hawk accompanied by the call of a Blue and Gold Macaw?

These are the challenges you'll face at the Swingin’ Safari Golf Tournament, sponsored by Nacht & Lewis Architects since the tournament began in 2001.

After the putting contest, tee off with an 18-hole scramble on El Macero’s beautiful private course. End the evening with dinner, raffle prizes and awards ceremony. KOVR’s Sam Shane will hand out Sacramento’s most unique golf trophies – ostrich eggs with hand-drawn images. Foursome sponsorships and limited single player spots are still available. Visit the Swingin' Safari webpage for details and registration.

Watch a video made by Nacht & Lewis Achitechs at last years tournament.

Tiger Cub, Week 9 Update & Video

CJ the Sumatran Tiger cub is up to 18 lbs in his 9th week! He is getting more mobile and feisty by the day. He has also started to practice his stalking skills and pounces on mom a lot. CJ licks and tastes mom's food but hasn't really started eating the meat just yet.

57 days old. Photo credit: Erik Bowker

57 days old. Photo credit: Erik Bowker

58 days old. Photo credit: Erik Bowker