Sacramento Zoo

Sacramento Zoo www.saczoo.org The Zoo is wholly managed by the nonprofit Sacramento Zoological Society and inspires conservation awareness through education and recreation.
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Open since 1927, the Sacramento Zoo is home to over 140 native, rare and endangered species and is one of over 200 accredited institutions of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Happy World Parrot Day from the Sacramento Zoo! 🦜 While every species of this colorful family of birds is important, tod...
05/31/2026

Happy World Parrot Day from the Sacramento Zoo! 🦜

While every species of this colorful family of birds is important, today we want to highlight a very special flock here at the zoo.

Did you know that there is only one living species of parrot native to the United States?

The thick-billed parrot is native throughout Mexico, and up into the Southwestern United States!

These parrots are strikingly green and red, and that thick bill is used to eat acorns, pine seeds, and nuts. This diet is due to their preferred environment of pine and highland forests. In fact, this bird can be found at elevations of over 11,000 feet!

If you ever visited the zoo, you've likely heard our flock before seeing them. These parrots are incredibly social, and incredibly loud! Their calls can be heard up to a mile away!

Sadly, thick-billed parrots are considered Endangered. Deforestation and mining operations in the forests they call home have destroyed swaths of the range they used to be found in. Currently, thick-billed parrots are extremely rare to find in their United States range and are found in pockets of Northen Mexico.

However, the flock right here in Sacramento is a crucial part in bringing this species back from the brink!

The Sacramento Zoo is proud to work with other AZA institutions, as well as the with the Mexican Government, to save this rare parrot. The Sacramento Zoo also coordinates the Species Survival Studbook of this species, which helps manage all thick-billed parrots in human care.

Your support of the Sacramento Zoo helps support work to re-establish this colorful bird back to its US range!

Happy World Parrot Day!

05/30/2026

ATTENTION ALL LOCAL ARTISTS!

We invited nooligan out to the zoo to turn our amazing zoo animals into phenomenal works of art!

Want to be a featured artist at the zoo in 2027? Sign up for our Artist Competition, opening June 5!

To celebrate the amazing and diverse Sacramento community, we will be featuring up and coming local artists throughout our centennial year, 2027, as they create one of kind pieces of the Sacramento Zoo animals.

12 local creators will be featured throughout the year, with artwork displayed at the zoo and merchandise of their artwork available to zoo visitors. Artists must be 18 or older, and must reside in the greater Sacramento area!

Submit a portfolio of your artwork before July 17 to be considered!

If you are a local artist interested in being featured, check out our website for submission guidelines and timeline, at https://www.saczoo.org/centennial-art-competition

Happy National Alligator Day! 🐊✨ Did you know that the American alligator, like Guinness here, is a conservation success...
05/29/2026

Happy National Alligator Day! 🐊✨

Did you know that the American alligator, like Guinness here, is a conservation success story?

American alligators are the largest reptile in North America, and one of only two alligator species in the world! The other is the smaller Chinese alligator. They can grow up to 14 feet long and can weigh over 400 pounds.

Alligators are very territorial and become more solitary the larger they get. While they are only capable of small bursts of movement on land, they are incredibly agile in the water.

In 1967, American alligators faced serious threats from hunting and were considered Endangered. For the next twenty years, serious conservation efforts were put in place to protect these huge reptiles. Hunting was regulated and decreased, and populations boomed.

By 1987, American Alligators were taken off of the Endangered Species List. Today, they are considered to be a species of Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Today, the biggest threats they face are in their interactions with humans. As parts of the wetlands they call home are developed, alligators are pushed closer to human beings. This can encourage alligators to interact with humans, who often feed alligators.

Still, despite these threats, their population remains stable. Conservation success stories like this remind us to never give up hope that even the most endangered species can be brought back from the brink of extinction!

Just by visiting the Sacramento Zoo, you support conservation work around the globe, including the Rafeal Crespo Conservation Fund! This fund is in memory of Rafeal Crespo, a prominent crocodilian conservationist, which funds the futures of conservationists every year.

Did you know that May is Mental Health Month?Today we'd like to highlight our animal care team and bring awareness to th...
05/28/2026

Did you know that May is Mental Health Month?

Today we'd like to highlight our animal care team and bring awareness to the challenges their job can bring.

Our keepers help care for every single animal here at the zoo. That means early starts and long days. This includes coming in on holidays and birthdays; Spending time away from their own family to care for almost 400 individual animals.

Their job requires them to be in a constant state of alert. They are responsible for keeping living beings alive, safe, and happy. The safety aspect extends to themselves and others as well, especially when working with an animal that can harm them. That kind of pressure does not simply go away once you clock out.

There is also the inevitable pain involved when caring for a living being. The pain of loss is something that has touched every member of our animal care team, and yet despite this, they work through that grief. The loss of one does not mean that the care for the other animals stops. When you see one of our keepers cleaning a habitat, feeding an animal, or giving a keeper talk, you may be seeing someone working through a broken heart.

Our animal care staff is unbelievably dedicated to the husbandry of every animal living at the Sacramento Zoo, and to the conservation of their wild counterparts.

For this Mental Health month, we want to thank our animal care team for doing a job that while rewarding, carries a stress that many people are unaware of.

05/27/2026

Happy World Otter Day! 🦦

Today we celebrate our two North American river otters, Jackson and Darla, as well as all of the incredible species of otter around the world!

Otters are semi-aquatic mammals in the Mustelidae family! Other members of this family include weasels, ferrets, wolverines, and minks!

Otters can be found on every continent except Australia and Antarctica.

North American river otters can be found throughout the United States and Canada, including right here in the Sacramento area! They spend most of their time in freshwater rivers, streams, and lakes. Their thick fur is water-repellant to suit their semi-aquatic lifestyle!

These otters can even hold their breath underwater for four minutes!

While North American river otter populations are stable, they still face threats in the wild due to habitat loss and waterway pollution.

Unfortunately, there are several otter species that are considered Endangered, such as the giant otter and southern river otter of South America, and the sea otter of North America.

One of the best ways to help river otter populations is to be respectful when enjoying or interacting with our local waterways! Help keep our rivers clean from trash and reduce human impact as much as possible.

Want to learn other ways to help native wildlife? Check out our conservation page on our website at https://www.saczoo.org/take-conservation-action!

Happy World Otter Day!

Ever heard of excuse me?The new litter of capybaras continue to grow and explore!
05/26/2026

Ever heard of excuse me?

The new litter of capybaras continue to grow and explore!

The Sacramento Zoo is open today despite road closures in Land Park due to the Bark & Brews 5K. Land Park Drive will be ...
05/25/2026

The Sacramento Zoo is open today despite road closures in Land Park due to the Bark & Brews 5K.

Land Park Drive will be closed from 13th Ave. to 15th Ave. until 10:45 am.

Would you believe this is the same species?It's true! Link and Aurora are our two white-faced saki monkeys, but only one...
05/24/2026

Would you believe this is the same species?

It's true! Link and Aurora are our two white-faced saki monkeys, but only one has the white face!

White-faced sakis are sexually dichromatic, meaning that males and females have different coloration from one another. This is rare amongst new world primates!

Males, like Link, are the only white-faced sakis with a white face!

05/23/2026

In honor of World Turtle Day, Pandora the box turtle took a tour! 🐢

She ran into some of the other turtles around the zoo, as well as some non-shelled friends!

Box turtles are native to the central United States, from South Dakota and Iowa, down into Texas and Louisiana. Pandora is a member of our Ambassador Animals and is typically not publicly viewable except for animal encounter shows.

Happy World Turtle Day!

Happy World Turtle Day from the Sacramento Zoo! We're celebrating all the turtles and tortoises of the Sacramento Zoo, a...
05/23/2026

Happy World Turtle Day from the Sacramento Zoo!

We're celebrating all the turtles and tortoises of the Sacramento Zoo, and beyond! These shelled reptiles can be found on every continent except Antarctica, and on land, in lakes, rivers, and the sea!

Tortoises are land-dwelling with domed shells! Turtles are typically aquatic or semi-aquatic, with flatter shells. However, despite these differences, all are turtles!

Two species in this post, the desert tortoise and the Western pond turtle, are California natives! The desert tortoise is the state reptile of California, and the Western pond turtle is the only native freshwater turtle in the state.

Every turtle or tortoise in this post is Vulnerable, Endangered, or Critically Endangered.

Unfortunately, many turtle species are facing serious challenges. The pollution of waterways, habitat loss, competition with invasive species, poaching, and the illegal pet trade, are just some of the threats facing these incredible creatures.

The Sacramento Zoo is proud to work with local conservation groups at Bushy Lake to help conserve Western pond turtles, as well as the Galapagos Conservancy, who do critical work to protect and reintroduce Galapagos tortoises. Learn more about these two partners on our website at https://www.saczoo.org/conservation-partners.

Happy World Turtle Day!

Address

3930 W Land Park Drive
Sacramento, CA
95822

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 4pm
Tuesday 9am - 4pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 4pm
Saturday 9am - 4pm
Sunday 9am - 4pm

Telephone

+19168085888

Website

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