At long last, the gorillas are coming to their new home. This morning, the San Antonio Zoo officially announced the grand opening of Congo Falls.
The zoo’s state-of-the-art, two-acre habitat for gorillas will officially open on Saturday, December 13, 2025, at 10 a.m.
“Congo Falls is more than an animal habitat, it’s a testament to our commitment to secure a future for wildlife,” Tim Morrow, President and CEO of San Antonio Zoo, said in a statement. “The world-class habitat will allow guests to connect with gorillas like never before, providing an experience that inspires awe, curiosity, and a deeper appreciation for these remarkable species. Congo Falls is labor of love and a historic moment not just for our zoo, but for conservation efforts across the globe.”
The San Antonio Zoo’s Congo Falls habitat, shown in new renderings, will bring gorillas back to the zoo after three decades. (Courtesy of San Antonio Zoo)
This will be the first time in over 30 years that the zoo has featured gorillas. Its last gorilla, Mopie, was a fixture at the zoo in the 1980s.
Now, with Congo Falls, the zoo will be home to seven western lowland gorillas: Anaka, Andi, and Merry (from Zoo Atlanta); B’wenzi, Juba, and Shana (from the Dallas Zoo); and Ajari (from the Houston Zoo).
The number of gorillas moving to San Antonio, sadly, fell by one last week when Zola, a male gorilla from the Dallas Zoo, died.
“We loved him even before we … truly knew him,” Morrow said in a statement.
Congo Falls broke ground in March 2024 and was called a “significant milestone in the zoo’s 110-year history.” It will include three separate roaming areas, a 30-foot waterfall with a pool for water play, and a more than 70-foot-tall gorilla tower called the Mays Family Silverback Peak, which will be the tallest gorilla tower in the world.
“The goal was to make all of these habitat improvements and reimaginations and build on the character that already existed and just grow this zoo to be that proud, shining beacon in San Antonio,” Hope Roth, vice president of marketing, sales and communication at the zoo told MySA this past summer.
According to The Gorilla Organization, the western lowland gorilla is a critically endangered species with fewer than 150,000 remaining in the wild. It is included in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species.
Currently, the zoo works with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Species Survival Plan® (SSP) and SAFE: Saving Animals from Extinction® programs, global initiatives uniting accredited zoos in the shared goal of protecting wildlife and preserving biodiversity.
They also collaborate with conservation partners, including the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Center (GRACE) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, and the AZA Gorilla SAFE program.
“Together, these organizations work to ensure genetically diverse, sustainable populations of gorillas, while advancing education, habitat protection, and animal care innovation,” zoo officials said in a statement.
So, who wants to meet San Antonio’s newest residents? Ready, set, GOrilla!
This article originally published at San Antonio Zoo announces date for Congo Falls grand opening.
