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Photography: The Sacramento Zoo

Last week I took my mom and 5-year-old nephew to the Sacramento Zoo. We saw plenty of lovely animals, but the flamingos on their nests stole the show. Let me know if you have a favorite image and I hope you are having a wonderful day.

“When I draw it, I’m going to make my skin see-through and what you’ll see is that all the animals in the zoo of me have broken out of their cages.”—Jandy Nelson

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All photos were taken by me using an Olympus OM-D and edited with ON1 Photo RAW.

53 thoughts on “Photography: The Sacramento Zoo”

  4. I’m a sucker for zebras, but I love the serene dignity of the capybara. Your photos remind me that I need to visit the Sacramento Zoo before they move it to Elk Grove. I have nothing against Elk Grove, but it’s a long drive from the city center and not Sacramento! Though I am glad the animals will be getting a better home.

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    • Thank you for the kind words about my photos. I’m very sad about the move of the zoo. It’s not even the fact I have to drive further, I worry it won’t have the magical feeling of Land Park. I have so many childhood memories, my own and those with my own children, at the zoo and Fairytale Town. To have them not be together anymore is really a shame.

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      • I also have a lot of memories of the old “Land Park Zoo,” as it was known when I was little. When I was three, four years old? a peacock flew down from the roof of the prairie dog house (which was torn down a long time ago) and landed on top of me, knocking me flat on my face. I don’t know if I blacked out, but I remember all these adults standing around me when I woke up, all saying, “Are you okay?” “My goodness, you’re so brave!” I had no idea what they were talking about until my mother told me about seeing this huge shadow fly down and suddenly cover me. To this day, I don’t trust peacocks, however gorgeous they look. But there are better memories, about feeding the animals (the zoo was a lot more lax about our interactions with them) and the smell of popcorn and cotton candy from the concession stand. And the huge old trees that provided so much shade. I hope they don’t cut them down when they clear out the old zoo buildings.

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      • Thank you for sharing those memories with me. I don’t trust peacocks either, and even less now from your story. I too hope they don’t flatten the zoo location of all the beautiful plants. It would be cool to explore when the animals are all gone. I doubt they will let people in though. Have you heard anything about the plans for it? I’m scared they will turn it into something terrible.

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      • There are no plans yet for the old site, from what I’ve read in the Bee. The Zoological Society said it wants to survey the neighborhood and find out what people want, though there have been suggestions for a community center or a wildlife sanctuary. I’d love to see an arboretum or botanical garden there, since the one across from Fairytale Town is so small and easy to overlook. (A lot of people don’t even know it’s there. I walked through it as a child but I didn’t realize what it was until a retired park employee told me it was a rock garden/tropical plant display.)

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      • Those are both really great ideas! I love the garden across from Fairytale Town (the one by the amphitheater, right?). I take a lot of photos there and would love if they made it something like that.

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    • He really is the bestest! I love being his auntie and getting to show him the world. Tomorrow we are planting our annual pumpkin patch (a little late). I’m so sad he starts kindergarten in the fall. Those young years go by so darn fast.

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  8. Take me to the Zoo and here’s what you get. Not my fault.

    Small child in blue, smiling big, snow leopard, prairie dogs, twice, maybe thrice, Terry Tempest Williams devoted one-third of a book to them, critters with stripes or long long necks, what’s not to like? Reptiles of any sort, sorry, not a fan. Flamingo’s number 11 & 12 really contribute a less common view not oft seen, exceptional.

    But I have a special history with the Capybara. One of my early poets who tickled thoughts, Sandra Beasley, did a whole homage to them.

    Unit of Measure

    All can be measured by the standard of the capybara.
    Everyone is lesser than or greater than the capybara.
    Everything is taller or shorter than the capybara.
    Everything is mistaken for a Brazilian dance craze
    more or less frequently than the capybara.
    Everyone eats greater or fewer watermelons
    than the capybara. Everyone eats more or less bark.
    Everyone barks more than or less than the capybara,
    who also whistles, clicks, grunts, and emits what is known
    as his alarm squeal. Everyone is more or less alarmed
    than a capybara, who—because his back legs
    are longer than his front legs—feels like
    he is going downhill at all times. (excerpt)

    Made me love poems all over again.

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    • I’m so glad you could visit the zoo with me, Neil. The photos don’t even capture how adorable those meerkats really are. I love how they take turns keeping watch over all the others. It’s sweet and very touching. As for capybaras, I had no idea you loved them so much! I’m going to have to look up the entire poem you shared. It’s a lovely one. I wonder what it would be like to always feel like you are going downhill? I suppose we always are, but maybe we don’t always feel it.

      Thank you for making me smile with your wonderful comment.

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    • I have very similar feelings about zoos, Roy. Some do a better job than others. This one, which has been around for 100 years, is closing and they are building a new one about 5 times as big about 30 minutes away. I’m not a fan of this change and the plan to bring in “big ticket” animals. The current location is nostalgic for me, as I went their my entire childhood, but I won’t have the same feeling for the new one.

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    • Thank you so much! I’m glad the giraffe made you smile. We actually got to feed him some leaves on a giant platform, which my nephew was thrilled about! I do believe that is an iguana and I think he’s rather cute. The flamingos sure were fun to photograph. I might have to return when the babies hatch.

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  15. Bridgette, what a mavolous place to make memories.All of your photo’s and brilliant, but l am drawn to giraffe it’s inquzitive look it knows your there and wants to know all about you. Regards to your family ❤️😁🙏

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    • Thank you so much! Yes, the giraffe was quite a character. My nephew got to feed him some leaves and both seemed to enjoy the experience. I couldn’t hold my nephew and the camera at the same time, but it was fun being so close to such gorgeous animals.

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    • Thank you so much, Ashley. I’ve been taking so many photos of my nephew since he was born that he sometimes will say “take my photo, because I’m cute.” He knows his auntie! It’s always a good day when I get to spend it with him.

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    • I very much enjoyed photographing the flamingos. They used to be far away from view, but are currently in the old chimpanzee habitat and very close. I might have to return when the babies hatch.

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