Best Zoo Exhibits In Sacramento

Throughout the year, visitors to the Sacramento Zoo enjoy meeting and learning about mammals, amphibians, fish, birds, reptiles and the environment. There are also a number of special ways to enjoy the zoo this summer, including through a hands-on Nature Explorers program for kids and parents held on the last Saturday of each month. The summer 2016 topics include plants, pollination, music, art and fur, feathers and scales. There are also overnight safaris for families in June, July and August that include education, exploration and camping. Also this year, Sacramento Zoo will be participating in the SAFE program, a national campaign on Saving Animals From Extinction.

With more than 16,000 acres of wetlands and woodlands, the wildlife area is home to raptors, invertebrates, bats, mammals, turtles, fish, waterfowl and nearly 200 types of birds. Also known as the Vic Fazio Wildlife Area, the YBWA has many great experiences to offer the public. Special events and exhibits include a seven-hour birding field trip as part of the 2016 Explorer Series. Led by raptor expert Jim Estep, the Hawks of Summer session will include birds of prey and Great-Horned Owls. There is a Summer Discovery series for young children, as well as a five-day summer wetland exploration camp. Later in the summer of 2016, there are several bat-related events, including a workshop on bat house building.

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During June and July, youngsters and their parents can participate in weekly hands-on programs called Zoo Tots. Subjects include river animals, water play, junior zookeepers and a favorite class entitled "Nature's Yucky." Micke Grove also has a Zoo Mobile that brings live animals and education programs to people of all ages. The mobile can go to schools, senior care facilities, daycare centers and other public places. In the actual zoo, visitors will see mammals, birds, amphibians, invertebrates and reptiles from all five of the world's major continents.

A special "King of the Forest" experience for dads and kids takes place in June, with an overnight sleepover in honor of Father's Day. A tour of the Folsom Zoo Sanctuary by flashlight, storytelling about creatures of the night and a camp out on the zoo's decks make it a unique experience. The zoo and sanctuary, located adjacent to Folsom City Lions Park, is small but impressive. Residents include everything from wolves, tigers, pythons and primates to cougars, bears, raptors, primates, prairie dogs and miniature Zebu cattle. For those who might wish to spend a summer holiday with the animals, the zoo is open on Independence Day.

The refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and consists of nearly 11,000 acres of wetlands, grasslands and river bank habitats. During the summer, high temperatures cause the wetland water levels to drop drastically, so large numbers of egrets, grebe, ducks and herons relocate to permanent ponds. Guests can get unparalleled views of them from June through August, as well as of swallows, orioles, tricolor blackbirds, deer, jackrabbits, muskrats and otters. Until the end of June, visitors can travel on the six-mile Logan Creek Trail. The rest of the refuge areas are open year-round, from dawn to sunset.

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