Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 52F. W winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph..
Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 52F. W winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph.
Updated: April 24, 2026 @ 3:03 pm
Mayor Libby Schaaf hailed a new trail at the Oakland Zoo that’s celebrating several threatened California native species as “a bold expression of Oakland values.”
Schaaf told people who came to the grand opening of the 56-acre California Trail, a $72 million project that took almost three years to complete, “This is an amazing project and an amazing gift for current and future generations.”
Zoo officials said the trail is now home to eight native California animal species — jaguars, grizzly bears, black bears, bald eagles, gray wolves, mountain lions, California condors, and the American bison.
They said the goal of the California Trail is to promote wildlife conservation through the stories of the animals living there now and what we can do to ensure the survival of their counterparts in the wild.
The trail includes a 2.5-acre habitat to four newly arrived grizzly bear and brown bear cubs from Alaska.
Zoo officials said the bears are orphans who were rescued so they brought in 8,000 tons of snow to make them feel at home.
The trail also includes an innovative play zone called the “California Wilds” where children can mountain climb, zip-line and splash in five play zones inspired by the different ecological zones that California Trail animals call home.
Schaaf said the California Trail will further the zoo’s commitment to animal care, education and conservation and provides a chance to interpret stories of change in California and emphasize the role of humans in shaping the Bay Area’s ecology.
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