I recently read an article on the Sacramento Zoo website saying that they were getting 3 new species: Meerkats, a Coati, and of course, Okapi. They will be the only zoo in northern California to house this animal. I would like to hear what people think about this, and if you have any questions.
I personally am very excited for the okapi (you may or may not be able to guess from my avatar, but I like okapis). It appears they'll be giving the species a decently sized enclosure since it'll take up what use to be the zoo camp lawn and where the dilapidated-looking hornbill avaires were. However I'm not a huge fan of the meerkats and a coati and I'll explain why. For the coati, its is simple because I feel its new exhibit is to small. Yes, they did combine the old tree anteater and margay enclosures but when I visited recently, it still looked to small for the animal. As for the meerkats, it's because to house they're not only getting rid of there cute fennec foxes, but halving the living space of the aardvark. Plus, basically every zoo has meerkats. If they wanted a Herpestidae, they should of gone for dwarf mongooses or something else. However, as long as all the animals are well taken care of, and they all live happy, healthy lives, I'm game for whatever the zoo decides to do.
I too am very excited for the arrival of okapi, and I hope that from a drawing of what the exhibit should look like, it will be a good enclosure. I haven't been to the zoo recently, and I had no idea that they would be halving the enclosure for the aardvarks, just for meerkats. I hope that I can get to the zoo soon to see all of these changes to decide if their good or not.
Hopefully you'll be able to. Also, speaking of new species, since you haven't been recently you may or may not be aware of the fact that the zoo has also recently acquired 2 additional new species (well technically one of them is a returning species): the hawk-headed parrot and the rhinoceros iguana.
Thanks for that info! I was aware that the zoo had acquired a Hawk Headed Parrot due to a post on their website, but I was't aware of the arrival of Rhinoceros Iguana.
Banded Mongooses were supposed to be part of Small Wonders, but got dropped somewhere along the line. Personally I too would rather have seen them bring in Banded, Dwarf, or some other mongoose. Meerkats are too ubiquitous. It arrived a couple months ago, I uploaded a couple pics of the iguana to the gallery today.
You're welcome! Link lists the original planned inhabitants for Small Wonders. Fennec Fox was not originally part of the plans. Whether they're keeping the Fennecs I'm not sure, they're gone from the zoo website, but the signs in Small Wonders yesterday said they were offshow till the renovations were completed. Really didn't need to split the exhibit, kinda ruined it in my opinion. Small Wonders of Africa Breaks Ground! - Sacramento Zoo
@Great Argus I asked the zoo via Instagram and the person said the fennec will be "eventually relocated to another facility."
The Aardvark and the Wolf's Guenons have been the only inhabitants of Small Wonders to stick around... species were never added, species have left, species have moved around the zoo... been a highly variable and short term exhibit on the whole.
The Sac Zoo hasn't been very good about holding on to new species in general in the last couple years. In the last while the zoo has received, and gotten rid of: a southern tamandua, an African pygmy falcon, a riparian brush rabbit, two yellow-backed duikers, two red-rumped agoutis, a breeding pair of great Indian hornbills, a breeding pair of rhinoceros hornbills, some Halloween moon crabs, a fennec fox (as we already discussed) and an entire colony of straw-coloured fruit bats (however four individuals will stay at the zoo behind the scenes as animal ambassadors). Additionally, when I was there last I asked a zookeeper what'll happen to the guinea fowl when the mongoose lemurs move into there exhibit and she told me that they'll be relocated.
True, though a couple parts to that are incorrect. Both the tamandua and brush rabbit passed away of old age. The Great Indian Hornbills were there for ages, and I don't think they'd bred in a long time. I don't believe the Rhinoceros Hornbill were a breeding pair, far as I was aware they only had one.
Huh, I didn't know that You're probably right, I saw there was two so I just assumed they were a breeding pair Once again, you're probably right Thanks for the corrections
The great indian hornbill only bred once. in the 90s. Those hornbill cages wer ehorrible from photos I saw. Much better that such important birds are given a good enclosure.
I heard from a zookeeper that they had to relocate the Tamandua because Sacramento was too dry for the tropical animal.
A different tamandua maybe? I seem to recall them having two at one point... Though the link to the article I was pulling from: Celebrating the Life of Izzy the Southern Tamandua | Sacramento Zoo - Sacramento, CA Honestly the explanation of moving it because it was too dry for the tropical animal makes no sense, considering they keep Bongo, Chimpanzee, Jaguar, Wolf's Guenon, Orangutan... also all rainforest mammals... could be something specific to tamandua I guess but seems weird.
This is just an idea, and it may not of worked, but I feel this would of, in the end, been the better option. If the zoo really wanted meerkats, they could of put them in the current otter exhibit (after renovations of course). In turn, the zoo could of made a new otter exhibit where the garden currently sits by the yellow-billed magpies and burrowing owls. As all these species live in California the zoo could of then made this a mini California zone (after all this zoo is in the Golden states capitol) This would of... allowed the zoo to keep the fennec foxes allowed the aardvark enclosure to stay the current size given the incoming meerkats a slightly bigger area allowed the otter to get a slightly bigger area allowed the zoo to add a new "zone" with animals already in its collection However, this would obviously of cost more and considering the zoo just re-did the otter exhibit in 2011, I doubt this would have happened, even if this idea occurred to them.
According to the zoo's instagram, Padme the aardvark is back on exhibit. I guessing this means that the meerkat and new aardvark exhibit are now done. All they need now are the actual meerkats.
Went to the zoo today, the Aardvark is back on exhibit and the meerkat exhibit is done (The actual meerkats still need to move in). I heard from a worker that the meerkats are in quarantine, but will be moved on exhibit very soon.
