SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Zoo broke ground Friday on its newest exhibit that will house gorillas.
Congo Falls will be a two-acre habitat that will allow the zoo to house gorillas for the first time in more than 30 years.
Zoo officials say the new exhibit, which is slated to open next year, will offer immersive experiences and give visitors multiple vantage points to view the gorillas — including from a future event center that will be built above the habitat on top of the cliff wall.
The gorillas will have space to roam and will even have a view of the event center and the San Antonio skyline with a 60-foot gorilla tower that will be called Mays Family Silverback Peak. Zoo officials said the feature is the first of its kind in the world.
The zoo recently completed a redesigned entrance which includes a large gorilla statue.
The entrance and gorilla habitat were funded by 2022 voter-approved bond funds and donations to its capital campaign — Generation Zoo including a $10 million donation by the Ralston Family Charitable Foundation.