We have Penguins! (Now if we only had a zoo...)

Today the Magellanic Penguins on loan from the SF Zoo go on display at the Sacramento Zoo. As Zoo Parents, my son and I had the privilege of attending the preview party yesterday and they sure are cute little guys. All six lined up on the ledge, and as if on cue, shoved each other one by one into the water. the crowd let out a collective "ooohhhhh" and the penguins were a hit.

Really though, it'd be a much better sell if we actually had a zoo... yes I know there's a large area in Land Park called the zoo. I know there are animals there and a brand new Vet hospital. But if you've ever visited a zoo in a large city, you know what I mean. We have a tiny excuse for a zoo. We are not Portland, Seattle or Denver and we are not even a close second compared to San Diego. San Diego Zoo had close to 3.2 million visitors in 2006 and Portland had nearly 1.5 million in 2006. Less than 500,000 people visited our little zoo last year.

Regardless of your opinion on zoos, it's hard to argue that they do a decent job of protecting species that left in the wild are going extinct. Zoos create a place for children to see animals up close and personal that they otherwise would not experience. Sure, I'd rather that our borrowed penguins be in their native Argentina fishing. But the reality is that seeing the penguins creates a sense of compassion, ownership and dedication to protect. You cannot create that for most people with a postcard, an Animal Planet show or a funny cartoon movie.

The Sacramento Bee article dated 4/6 says that for approximately $200 million we could have a "zoo of the future", perhaps a landmark of distinction that would encourage visitors to see something beyond Old Sac and the capitol. That seems like a lot of money but in comparison, we could build two zoos for the cost of a new arena. Sacramento is already leading the way on eco-living, green standards and solar power. Why not put forth a state-of-the-art conservation zoo and expand our environmental concern to protecting animals as well?

If I have to choose, I'll take basketball on TV and penguins, cheetahs and elephants in person.