Piles of School Supplies!

By Jaime Wilson, Zoo Blog Keeper

The Zoo is collecting school supplies in the month of August to help kids in the community and last week, we received a huge pile of them!

Target is sponsoring three free-admission days in August and the donations of school supplies on the first day was just fantastic! Thank you to everyone who came out to the Zoo and generously brought supplies. And Thank you to Target for making such a great event possible for the community. They even had their staff on hand to do free crafts with the kids!

Target Free-Admission Days continue on Monday, August 23rd & Monday, August 30th from 9 am to 4 pm. The Zoo is collecting new, unwrapped school supplies through the end of the month.

Sacramento Zoo Thankful to Sacramento Police and Acknowledges the Importance of Preparing for Emergencies

by Lauren Kraft, Public Relations Coordinator

On the afternoon of Thursday, August 19th the Sacramento Zoo’s emergency plan was enacted seamlessly and efficiently as the first radio call announced “a vehicle has crashed through the Zoo’s back gate followed by two police cars.” At 3:05 pm, three vehicle theft suspects were arrested by Sacramento Police after they fled the mangled vehicle and tried to elude police by hiding in the Zoo.

The Sacramento Zoo staff practices emergency drills throughout the year and organizes monthly safety meetings. The priorities during an emergency are: safety of the public, safety of zoo personnel, safety of the animals, and safety of the facilities/environment. It is due to the preparedness of the staff that Thursday’s emergency was handled professionally and competently.

After the first radio call was heard with police sirens erupting in the background, Zoo staff went into action securing visitors indoors or beyond the Zoo’s perimeter. Animal care staff secured animal buildings and directed police throughout the Zoo.

The Sacramento Police department accomplished a quick capture of the three men, while at the same time quickly communicating with Zoo personnel. The Sacramento Zoo is thankful to the officers who arrived on scene in immense numbers and ensured the safety of visitors, staff and animals. Thursday’s successful outcome is a testament to the service our Police department provides as well as the preparedness of the Sacramento Zoo’s emergency procedures.

During the incident, one staff person was unfortunately bit by a Police canine as a suspect ran past him; he was taken to the hospital for stitches. The day after, the Zoo staff is back to work, caring for the animals and the Zoo is open to the community.

Cecily in "Animals Got Talent"

Our Summer Camp leaders received the nicest letter from a Zoo supporter. We just wanted to share it with everyone!

By Joanne Arellanes, Zoo Supporter & Zoo Camp Grandmother

For the past ten years I have been a member of the Sacramento Zoo and have registered 4 grandchildren for various Zoo Camps during that time. My granddaughter, Cecily, comes from the Walnut Creek area to Sacramento for her week of camp. She has been participating in various programs since she was five and is now ten years old. She and I love the zoo! Every year we take photos and make a scrapbook of her experience.

Last week's program, "Animals Got Talent", was the highlight of Cecily's Zoo Camp involvement! She made many friends as she worked with her group to report on the Box Turtle. Cecily learned such interesting information about the critter and reported to us each day on what she had done. My husband and I attended the show on Friday and were just amazed and delighted by the poise and professionalism of the children. They handled the animals carefully, spoke clearly, had memorized their information perfectly, and performed flawlessly. Kudos to their teachers, Brooke and Ian, for teaching the children that they could have fun and share information with an audience. I know Ceci will never forget her Zoo Camp experience this year, and we look forward to recording it in her scrapbook.

The Sacramento Zoo looks great, the carousel is beautiful, and the new babies and giraffe feeding are wonderful additions. Cecily and I signed up as Zoo Parents for the snow leopard. The Zoo absolutely needs to expand; it is a vital and important part of our community. I will help in any way I can to make that clear to others.

Thank you all--staff, teachers, and counselors, for another wonderful summer experience!

Sincerely,
Joanne Arellanes

Cecily is the one in the hat!!

Sacramento Banana Festival, August 13-15

The Sacramento Banana Festival, at Cosumnes River College is a sustainability fundraiser for the Sojourner Truth Museum. The Sojourner Truth Cultural Center & Museum has been serving the Sacramento Community for over 20 years with very little funding or no funding at all! The Museum now serves over 12,000 children and youth of all diverse cultures each year for free. The Banana Festival will celebrate family, community, diversity, history, health and wellness, and social awareness.

Banana Festival
August 13, 14, & 15, 2010
Cosumnes River College
8401 Center Parkway
Sacramento, CA 95823

Tickets are just $5 for ages 12 and up or $15 for groups and families of 4. Please help support a local museum, the Sojourner Truth Museum by attending the Banana Festival at Consumnes River College!

Activites include:

Pageant Show
Dance & Music performances
Magic Show
Face Painting
Banana Dunking
Banana Split Making
Bounce Houses
Rock Climbing
Obstacle Course
Mural Painting

and much more!

Piglets on Exhibit

By Jaime Wilson, Zoo Blog Keeper

The three Red river hog piglets are now on exhibit daily! They follow their mom and dad around and are also very interested in the Bongos who share the exhibit. They can be seen foraging for food, rolling in the grass and emulating other behaviors of their parents. The piglets are very good runners so look carefully for darting pigs!

Here is a video of their first day outside at just 13 days old.

Update on Sydney the Black Jaguar

By Jaime Wilson, Zoo Blog Keeper

Many of you probably remember the very striking black Jaguar Sydney, that lived at the Zoo years ago. He went to a great home at the Little Rock Zoo and turned 21 years old on July 26th!

The carnivore keepers threw him a great birthday party in his exhibit to celebrate the special day. Huge thanks to Debbie Thompson and Kate Barszczowski for taking and sharing the pictures with us.

It warms our heart to see one of the animals we cared for doing so well in his new home. Thanks Little Rock Zoo!

Thanks for the Twilight Thursdays!

By Marisa Hicks, Marketing Coordinator

Twilight Thursdays has wrapped up for the year. We had a great series with seven car shows, seven live bands, great dinner specials and thousands of Zoo visitors.

Thank you to all of the car owners for your participation, the bands for bringing the great music and all of the visitors for coming out!

We’ll keep you posted on Twilight Thursdays for next year!