The Sacramento Zoo will be renamed with Elk Grove move. Here’s what it will be called
Elk Grove city officials voted unanimously to name its new zoo the “Elk Grove – Sacramento Zoo,” on Wednesday night, with support from the Sacramento Zoological Society.
“I think it’s important to recognize that it isn’t necessarily about the city of Sacramento. It’s about the brand of Sacramento Zoo, right? There’s kind of two separate pieces there,” said Councilmember Kevin Spease, who represents Elk Grove’s District 3. “I think we could all agree that if Sacramento wanted to keep it, they could have, but it isn’t about that.”
During Wednesday’s meeting, Robert Churchill, the interim CEO of the Sacramento Zoological Society, thanked the council for their partnership in creating a name.
“We support the proposed name, and we appreciate the responsiveness and the spirit of collaborative effort over the past couple of weeks to bring this name forward today,” Churchill said.
The William Land Park Zoo opened in 1927, according to the resolution. It later took on its most recognizable name, “Sacramento Zoo,” in the 1970s. With its move to Elk Grove, the Sacramento Zoological Society urged that the zoo must include reference to the original Land Park location with the name “Sacramento Zoo,” according to the city.
Councilmember Darren Suen, who represents District 1, considered the name a “good compromise” between recognizing the legacy of the Sacramento Zoo and its new beginnings in Elk Grove.
“We’re transitioning, and it will be something amazing. It will be something amazing when it gets done,” Suen said. “And so I don’t mind having a collaborative name.”
The council mentioned possibly getting rid of the dash between the city names for marketing purposes.
As the zoo prepares to move to Elk Grove, the facility will expand to 65 acres with room for more than 400 animals. One of the new exhibits includes a 23-acre African savanna featuring rhinos, giraffes, cheetahs and lions, according to past reporting.
The zoo, as it stands in Land Park, is 14.7 acres. The last expansion was in the 1960s, according to the zoo’s website.
Elk Grove plans to spend $302 million on the first phase of the zoo, according to the resolution. These funds are allocated from city funding and bonds.
