Sacramento Zoo could be renamed once it moves to Elk Grove. City council to vote
Elk Grove officials have proposed the official name of its new zoo project after four years of negotiations and recent debate between the Elk Grove City Council and the Sacramento Zoological Society.
The council will vote on the name “Elk Grove – Sacramento Zoo” at its meeting Wednesday night.
The Sacramento Zoo, originally opening as The William Land Park in 1927, according to the ordinance. The Sacramento Zoological Society insisted the zoo must include homage to its original Land Park location with the name “Sacramento Zoo,” the city states.
Alternative names proposed by the council included “Elk Grove Zoo of Greater Sacramento” and “Elk Grove Zoo of Sacramento.”
“Having the name ‘Sacramento Zoo,’ I think, was important to a lot of people and of course our city,” said Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen during a Jan. 22 council meeting. “So, we did not want to separate the two. When it comes to fundraising and something that’s been around for 100 years, there is, of course, the nostalgic impact of that.”
With the Elk Grove relocation, the zoo will span 65 acres and house more than 400 animals, including a 23-acre African savanna with rhinos, giraffes, cheetahs and lions, according to past reporting from The Sacramento Bee.
The current zoo is 14.7 acres, with its last expansion in the 1960s, according to the zoo’s website. The Sacramento Zoo has kept its namesake for 60 years, the city states.
The zoo project is estimated to cost about $302 million, according to the city of Elk Grove. These funds will be covered by city funding and bonds with the city acting as the “largest financial contributor,” the resolution states.
In January, the Sacramento Zoological Society announced they reached their fundraising goal of $17.5 million.
The city of Elk Grove officially approved the move in 2024, with significant support from residents. Construction will begin in multiple phases and will be northwest of Kammerer Road and Lotz Parkway.
The Elk Grove City Council will meet at 6 p.m. at the city chambers located at 8400 Laguna Palms Way. Meetings can also be watched live at metro14live.saccounty.gov.
