Sacramento Zoo Breaks Attendance And Conservation Records

More than 555,000 people visited the Sacramento Zoo last year. Births of lion cubs and baby lemurs helped increase attendance.

Kyle Burks is the Zoo Director. He says 25 cents of every admission goes to the Quarters For Conservation program. The zoo has pledged $150,000 to conservation efforts that include a study of the Greater Sand Hill Crane.

"They winter over here in Central California, so we're providing some funding to help look at landscape-level conservation efforts with those guys to make sure they have the wetlands and other things they need."

Money will also go to study vultures in southern Africa and small cats in Borneo

Last year, the zoo donated $100,000 to help conserve tri-colored blackbirds in the Sacramento Delta, giant armadillos and anteaters in South America, and snow leopards in Asia.

Burks says the births of lion cubs and baby lemurs helped increase attendance. This year, the zoo plans to provide more viewing opportunities for one of its more popular attractions.

"We have several Red Pandas but it's not completely covered over. And so, with those guys being very arboreal, you have to be careful when they're outside," says Burks. "So, we're going to actually make some modifications to the exhibit so we can have more of the group out visible to the public."