What will a zoo in Elk Grove look like? Renderings show modern facility with African habitats

Imagine sharing a meal at eye level with giraffe or feeding a pack of flamingos amid 70 acres of savannas habitats, tents for overnight stays and state-of-the-art exhibits, like virtual reality bringing a veterinarian clinic’s operating table up close and within hand’s reach.

These are among the many views the capital region got in its first look at what a future Sacramento Zoo in Elk Grove could look like.

On Thursday, zoo and city officials released conceptual renderings and a video that explores what the state-of-the-art park could look like when it moves from its current location in William Land Park.

Prepared by SHR Studios and Mangolin Creative, the drawings depict a modern, multi-phased zoological garden featuring extensive savannas where guests will have top-notch views of a habitat close to what animals would experience in the wilds of Africa.

“We want to make sure that there’s opportunities to feel not like you are an observer or looking into a habitat, but the two are completely surrounded by that habitat,” said Jason Hill of SHR Studios.

The design of the park allows an array of experiences for visitors such as learning about white rhinoceros, the Masai giraffe and animals most vulnerable to endangerment. The design suggests there could be opportunities for feeding flamingos or hippopotamus. Families can stay overnight in a luxury tent-cabin overlooking views of the hippopotamus lake.

Other signature species include okapis, guinea fowl, brown cranes, ostrich, enclosed cattle, gazelles, free-flight birds such as African grey parrots and more.

Another component of the zoo will be its discovery corridor, which will emulate the savannas of Tanzania and other landmarks in East Africa.

“We want this new zoo to be one of the best zoos in the United States,” said Jason Jacobs, the zoo’s executive director. “We wanted to be different, we wanted to stand out and we wanted something that the city of Elk Grove in the entire region can be proud of.”

This new park has a chance to separate itself from the typical menagerie layout that goes as far back as the 19th century. The Sacramento Zoo has been at its Land Park location for nearly a century.

The zoo’s relocation to Elk Grove would be the first major park built in the United States since 1998 when Disney’s Animal Kingdom was finished in Florida.

The Sacramento Zoological Society and the city of Elk Grove began negotiations to consider establishing a more spacious, modern zoo in September 2021.

“The renderings really help show the vision and the possibilities for this project and what it could bring to our region, but there is a lot of work that needs to be done,” said Elk Grove City Manager Jason Behrmann. “The renderings help us to better understand the costs and how we might be able to construct the zoo in phases.”

Behrmann said the relocated zoo also presents an opportunity to attract new sources for funding and collaboration.

Work could begin on the new zoo in late 2023, though the project still requires a final financing plan and an environmental impact review.

Depictions of the zoo are available at saczoo.org/about-us/new-zoo.

This story was originally published November 18, 2022 at 7:00 AM.