It Was a Wild Affair!

By Jaime Wilson, Zoo Blog Keeper

The first Saturday in October, the Zoo hosted its 15th Annual Wild Affair gala and fundraiser. The night was filled with elegant décor, delicious food, mouth-watering cocktails, high-energy bidding on auction items and behind-the-scenes animal tours led by our very own zoo keepers.

What was the best part? Spending the evening with our generous donors who have put us a step closer to SPLASH! The North American River Otter Habitat Renovation and Expansion project. We couldn’t do it without you!

And speaking of thank yous, we have so many more!

• Dave Bender of CBS 13: Our enthusiastic host and talented auctioneer!


• Patrick Mulvaney of Mulvaney’s B&L and Culinary Specialist: Chef and his team prepared a delicious Farm-to-Fork style dinner highlighting the best foods our region has to offer and some really delicious fruit infused cocktails.


• Ed & Jessica Goldman: The ever talented father and daughter team who rewrote and recorded songs for “My Fair Otter”, a zoo-themed take off on “My Fair Lady”.


• Steve Ayers (Honorary Event Chair) with Armour Steel & Iron Mechanical: The title sponsors of Wild Affair and partners in improving the Zoo!


• US Bank, McGuire Hester, Wells Fargo: Generous sponsors that helped us put on a great event!


• Village Nurseries: Who created a “River Runs Through It” entrance to our event tent with hundreds of beautiful flowers, plants and trees.


• Tobey Oxholm from Drexel University: He sold raffle keys like a champ and gave our Development Director a run for her money!


• Our dedicated volunteers: It’s beautiful because of you! From centerpieces to hanging butterflies, we can’t thank you enough.


• The Zoo Staff: Not only did they dress up as animals for the “My Fair Otter” show, they made the costumes, choreographed the moves, led the tours and made it all happen in a way that makes it look effortless! They put on one heck of a party!

We hope to see you at next year’s Wild Affair on October 1, 2011!

Here is a slideshow of highlights!

Animal Enrichment Day!

By Brooke Coe, Education Specialist & AAZK Member

Have you ever seen the tiger cub stalk a frozen shrimp pop or watched a giraffe use its 18 inch-long tongue to scoop fruit treats from an enrichment tube? How about ground hornbills chasing crickets? Now is your chance to take an active role in a zoo animal’s enrichment!

Why do we do this? Enrichment is an item or activity that is not part of the “routine” of an animal. It is something used to get them up and active, stimulate natural behaviors that you would see out in the wild, stretch their cognitive abilities, and simply to give the animals something new and fun to do! It is extremely beneficial for the livelihood and well-being of animals in captivity and contributes to longer, happy lives. Every animal in the Zoo is enriched, and zookeepers are constantly coming up with new, creative ideas for the zoo residents.

On Saturday, September 25th from 10 am to 2 pm, the Sacramento Zoo’s American Association of Zookeepers, Greater Sacramnto AAZK, will be hosting an enrichment day! It is an opportunity for the visitors to purchase pre-made enrichment items for animals throughout the zoo, and the guests get to watch as the animal eats, plays with, or destroys that item right then.

Visit our table a the front of the Zoo and see a wide range of enrichments to choose from, and also a variety of different animals to enrich! The proceeds from this event will be used to benefit your local AAZK chapter and also the Conservation Committee, which sponsors numerous local and world-wide conservation organizations such as Snow Leopard Trust and the Riparian Brush Rabbit Project. Come out and join us in enriching your favorite Zoo animal!

Piles of School Supplies!

By Jaime Wilson, Zoo Blog Keeper

The Zoo is collecting school supplies in the month of August to help kids in the community and last week, we received a huge pile of them!

Target is sponsoring three free-admission days in August and the donations of school supplies on the first day was just fantastic! Thank you to everyone who came out to the Zoo and generously brought supplies. And Thank you to Target for making such a great event possible for the community. They even had their staff on hand to do free crafts with the kids!

Target Free-Admission Days continue on Monday, August 23rd & Monday, August 30th from 9 am to 4 pm. The Zoo is collecting new, unwrapped school supplies through the end of the month.

Thanks for the Twilight Thursdays!

By Marisa Hicks, Marketing Coordinator

Twilight Thursdays has wrapped up for the year. We had a great series with seven car shows, seven live bands, great dinner specials and thousands of Zoo visitors.

Thank you to all of the car owners for your participation, the bands for bringing the great music and all of the visitors for coming out!

We’ll keep you posted on Twilight Thursdays for next year!

East Wind, a Blast from the Past

By Roy Kinji, Marketing Director

In the 70's music went from R&B to "Funk" and bands started adding horn sections and percussion. East Wind was one of those bands. In the early 70's, they performed a lot in South Sac and the Bay Area. If you went to Kennedy, McClatchy, Sac High or Burbank they probably played your homecoming dance or prom.

The band played music from Tower of Power, Earth, Wind & Fire, War and more. The band was also different, as most of the members were Asian, hence the name "East Wind". The band went through many changes finally calling it quits in 1977 at the beginning of disco. Through the years, core members stayed friends and kept in touch. After a 25 year reunion a few years back, they said "hey, let's quit talking and get back together to play music".

Here they are back in the day.


Original members: Martin Leong - bass guitar
Glen Wada - guitar
Dave Karacozoff - keyboards
Selwyn Jones - percussion
Baldwin Wong - trumpet
Roy Arimoto - sound

Joining them are Lester Chinn on Sax, Tim Ragan on Trumpet, vocalist Buddy Davis, Darryl Joe on drums and Barbara Long on vocals.

Interesting note: Buddy Davis has been a long time friend of the band. He returned to Sacramento from Las Vegas a few years back, needing a double organ transplant. After successful surgery, he's back to singing. Barbara and Darryl are married and have been in music together for many years. They perform every Sunday at Bayside Church of South Sacramento. Barbara was formerly with Hiroshima, the smooth jazz group that incorporated Japanese instrumentation into smooth jazz.

East Wind are playing at the Zoo on Twilight Thursday, July 15th from 5:30 to 8:00 pm. When you come out to see these guys, they are the real deal. They played these songs when they first hit the charts in the 70's. Now, they do it for fun!

King of Feasts - Thanks for Local Support!

By Marisa Hicks, Marketing Coordinator

We are counting down the days until Sacramento Zoo’s King of Feasts, food and wine luau. The night of the year when you get to sample Sacramento’s local dining scene while strolling through the Zoo. This year we had some extra help from the California Restaurant Association and SacramentoPress.com. They have been a great support in putting together what we think will be the best King of Feasts in the history of the Zoo.

The California Restaurant Association is one of the main reasons why there are so many new restaurants coming out to King of Feasts this year! A food industry trade organization based in Sacramento, they encouraged their members to come participate.

SacramentoPress.com has been fantastic in helping us prepare for this fun night as they are plugged into the local dining scene as well. With their help we were able to bring on board the coordinators of Midtown Cocktail Week who set up the Classic Tiki Cocktail Competition that will take place during the King of Feasts.

Join us for the Zoo’s most unique King of Feasts Food and Wine Luau.
21 and older recommended.

Pre-sale: $50 (Pre-sale Zoo Members: $45)
Day of Event and at the Door: $60 - No Discounts, Zoo closes early at 1:30 pm.

Buy your tickets online or call the (916) 808-5888.

Face to Facebook Night

By Jaime Wilson, Zoo Blog Keeper & Social Media Addict

Join other Facebook fans at the Sacramento Zoo's Face to Facebook Night on June 17 from 5:30 to 8:00 pm!

The Zoo will stay open late for Twilight Thursday with live music by Indestrucible Band (80's cover band) and featuring a VW car show.

Facebook fans, here is what you get!

• $2 off regular Zoo admission for everyone in your family (with RSVP)
• A special area to mingle with other Facebook fans while listening to the band
• Light snacks & bottled water
• Ticket for $2 beer, wine or soda

Kampala Cafe will be open with their regular menu and a dinner special or you can bring your own picnic dinner! We suggest bringing low lawn chairs or blankets to sit on and enjoy the music.
Prices with your $2 discount will be:
Adults, $8.50
Children 3-12, $4.50
Children 2 and under are free
Zoo Members are free

You must RSVP here! Your name will be on the guest list outside the Zoo entrance. Pick up your name tag for the discounted admission at the gate then join us on the Reptile House Lawn under the white tents.

Scavenger Hunt, Sunday March 21st

Come on down to the Zoo Sunday, March 21st between 9 am and 2 pm to participate in a How to Train your Dragon scavenger hunt! Every child who enters the Zoo with paid admission will be given the opportunity to go on a one-of-a-kind DRAGON TAIL hunt!

Objective: Collect all the codes and solve the puzzle. Only one can be the dragon trainer. IS IT YOU?

Participants will receive give-away prizes including passes to the March 24th screening at Esquire IMAX (while supplies last) and entry into the drawing for the How to Train Your Dragon video game or the limited edition dragon plush toy!

If you want to see the movie sooner - take a look at Mark S. Allen’s blog and see how!

Menus and Memories from Punjab book launch at the Rubin Museum on September 9!

Calling all gourmands: Come to the book launch and tasting for Menus and Memories from Punjab: Meals to Nourish the Body and Soul at the Rubin Museum of Art on Wednesday, September 9!

Author Veronica Sidhu will serve a sampling of the delicious recipes from her new book. A discussion on the "Health Benefits of Spices" with Dr. Leat Kuzniar, will accompany the tasting. The night will cap off with a classic bhangra folk dance.

Admission is $12, and includes a food-themed tour of the galleries beginning at 6 p.m.

The Rubin Museum of Art is located at 150 W. 17^th (at 7^th Ave.).

In Pics: Saif heads Home

After staying in Lilavati Hospital for two days thanks to a severe gastro infection, Saif finally heads home with girlfriend Kareena.

Saif and Kareena walk out of the hospital


Saif is happy but also stunned by the massive media presence


He goes to talk to the media...


....with the doctor and security personnel in tow.


He tells all his fans that he is alright


Answers all the queries…and looks very happy and pleased


Meanwhile, an angry looking Kareena (and not Saif) looks like the patient as she waits for him to head home.


The two head home in Saif's Lexus.

For Gossips And Mirch Masala Log On To Bollywood Paradize