After 35 years away, gorillas will once again roam South Texas.
Specifically, two acres of diverse habitat at the San Antonio Zoo.
Congo Falls, the San Antonio Zoo’s state-of-the-art gorilla enclosure will open Saturday. Guests will get to meet seven of San Antonio’s newest primates.
Tim Morrow, the zoo’s president and CEO, said the new enclosure has already increased membership and attention for the zoo.
“I am so excited that the public and the guests and the members are going to come in and see the habitat,” he said. “It’s another level of habitat that this zoo and San Antonio have never seen before.”
The exhibit’s grand opening is Saturday at 10 a.m. There’s no special tickets needed — Congo Falls is included in the price of admission.
The Carroll and Marguerite Wheeler Underground Viewing area at Congo Falls, the newest animal habitat at the San Antonio Zoo. Credit: Amber Esparza / San Antonio Report
Congo Falls will be divided into three habitats. There are two outdoor areas — Lowland Basin and Gorilla Gorge. Lowland Basin will have changing topographies, a 30-foot waterfall and a tower. Gorilla Gorge will have a yard and rooftop area. Gorillas will be able to look out at other enclosures in the zoo and guests will be able to observe the gorillas from below.
There’s also indoor areas — a large, indoor, climate-controlled rainforest and bedrooms for the gorillas behind the scenes. Morrow said gorillas will be able to move between the three habitats and add variability and choice to their lives.
The different habitats will also allow zoo keepers to manage the gorillas’ interactions while letting guests observe all seven.
The gorillas will be divided into two groups. Ajari, a silverback gorilla from Houston, will be in a family group with Merry, Andi and Anaka, three female gorillas from Atlanta’s zoo.
“Ajari and the girls will always be together,” Morrow said. “They’re getting along really well.”
Shana, a 23-year-old lowland gorilla, is one the three bachelor gorillas who moved from Dallas to the San Antonio Zoo’s newest animal habitat opening on Saturday, Dec. 13. Credit: Amber Esparza / San Antonio Report
Three bachelor gorillas are coming from Dallas. B’Wenzi, Juba and Shana will all spend time together. Those groups will not interact, but guests will be able to see the gorillas because of the diverse habitat system.
Congo Falls isn’t the only new facility at the zoo. The Ralston, an event space built above the new gorilla enclosure, opened this fall and has been busy.
“That has been amazing for us,” Morrow said. “This week, there’s been an event every single night at the Ralston.”
The new space gives the zoo a new revenue stream and a new way to connect with guests. Morrow said events are booked into 2026 and 2027. People can buy tickets to a catered New Years party this year.
Morrow doesn’t plan to stop with gorillas. He has eyes on developing land the zoo owns west of U.S. Highway 281.
San Antonio Zoo groundskeepers work around the Laura and San Dawson Family Gorilla Topiary on Friday in preparation of Congo Falls grand opening Saturday, Dec. 13. Credit: Amber Esparza / San Antonio Report
That means another much larger animal could return to San Antonio.
“Elephants will be back,” Morrow said. “We are an elephant zoo. We want to be engaged in elephant conservation.”
We’ve already been working on the next phase of growing this zoo.”