Formal consideration of the new zoo project by the Elk Grove City Council, and any approvals that would move the project into construction, could occur as soon as late 2023. These steps are expected to take a least a year to complete. Next steps in the process include developing a schematic design, a financing plan, and completing an environmental impact review (EIR).
The drawings also illustrate a variety of possible options for zoo visitors to get up close and learn about threatened species like the white rhinoceros and the Masai giraffe, feed a hippopotamus or flamingo, and even get to stay overnight in a luxury tent-cabin with views of the hippopotamus lake. The drawings, prepared by SHR Studios and Mangolin Creative, depict a multi-phased, modern zoo featuring expansive savannas where African wildlife will roam, and guests will be immersed in the animals’ surroundings. On November 16, the Sacramento Zoological Society and the City of Elk Grove released a series of conceptual drawings illustrating the vision for a state-of-the-art zoological park to serve the greater Sacramento region for generations to come.