After years of anticipation and planning, the Sacramento Zoo has officially halted its plans to relocate to Elk Grove. The decision, announced by zoo officials this week, marks a dramatic shift in direction for the nearly century-old institution, citing rising construction costs, economic challenges, and a fundamental change in project viability.

“While this outcome is disappointing, we know it is the right thing to do,” said Robert Churchill, interim CEO of the Sacramento Zoological Society as they made the announcement Wednesday. In his letter, Churchill emphasized that the zoo’s leadership has a duty to act in the best interest of both its mission and the public trust. “This decision, while difficult, reflects our responsibility to be prudent stewards of the Zoo’s resources. We cannot move forward with a project we cannot fully fund.”

The original plan envisioned a 65-acre, state-of-the-art facility in Elk Grove’s Southeast Policy Area, a dramatic expansion from the zoo’s current 14.3-acre site in Sacramento’s William Land Park. The new location promised to provide larger animal habitats, modern guest amenities, and expanded conservation programming. However, as design progressed, the project had to be drastically scaled back just to remain within budget.

Key features were eliminated, and the first phase of development was ultimately reduced to just 27 acres. Even more troubling to zoo leaders was that the initial version would house fewer species than the existing zoo and that full buildout could take decades—requiring significant future investment with no guaranteed path to completion.

“A dramatically scaled-down version of the new zoo without a clear plan for completion would not fulfill the vision originally shared with the public,” Churchill said, “and also would not be financially or operationally viable long term.”

While the City of Elk Grove had identified up to $239 million in funding through impact fees, bonds, and other sources, the Sacramento Zoological Society was responsible for raising an additional $50 million in private contributions. Despite hitting early fundraising targets, rising construction costs and unfavorable economic trends pushed the full project out of reach.

“We feel a very strong sense of responsibility toward our supporters and the community as a whole,” Churchill said. “These responsibilities require that we be diligent caretakers of the zoo’s mission and its resources.”

Zoo officials confirmed that no animals had been moved or conditioned for the relocation, and daily operations at the Land Park location will continue uninterrupted. The zoo’s staff will remain in place, and its current educational, conservation, and guest services efforts will carry on.

Future plans for the zoo are already under review. “We’re excited to re-focus on our current site,” said Churchill, “and determine how we can continue to serve our community, our guests, and most importantly, our animals.”

In the coming weeks, the Sacramento Zoological Society plans to share more about its revised vision, which may include modernizing exhibits and enhancing the current facility to better meet the needs of the animals and the public.

As for the Elk Grove site, which was purchased by the city for the proposed project, officials say that future use will be determined by the City of Elk Grove. The Sacramento Zoological Society has no financial stake in the property.

Donors to the now-defunct relocation project will be contacted directly. Roughly $1.9 million in new zoo donations that had been previously transferred to the City of Elk Grove is being returned to the Society, which will work with individual donors to determine how they’d like their contributions handled.

Meanwhile, this year’s Big Day of Giving efforts remain unaffected. Zoo officials confirmed those funds were always designated for current-use needs such as animal care, conservation initiatives, and educational programming at the Land Park facility—not the relocation project.

“We don’t yet know what the future holds,” said Churchill, “but we do know that we will continue to pursue our mission with the same passion and dedication that has defined the Sacramento Zoo for nearly a century.”

For continued updates and public input opportunities, visit www.saczoo.org.

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