GRAND OPENING of San Antonio Zoo’s new tropical realm, NEOTROPICA
San Antonio Zoo invites everyone to the grand opening of NEOTROPICA, the zoo’s new tropical realm, this Friday at 9 am, following a private ribbon-cutting for donors at 8:30 am. As the city’s newest destination this fall, NEOTROPICA will be home to endangered jaguars as well as birds from the amazon, monkeys, and other mammals, fish, and reptiles.
NEOTROPICA has a unique ecosystem design that allows animals from the tropics to coexist side by side within a thematic overlay of a South American fishing village. The $1.7M project was completely funded by donors. The zoo works in places like Peruvian Amazon, Chile, and Mexico to preserve rainforests and protect endangered species while inspiring San Antonians to love, engage with, act for, and protect animals and the places where they live.
The addition of the Pantera Walk to NEOTROPICA is made possible in large part with a donation from Texas A&M San Antonio, whose mascot is the jaguar. This new signature feature allows the jaguars to roam between two different habitats by way of an elevated trail system that traverses over zoo visitors and through the Amazonian Aviary, giving them more than 120% more space. Pantera Walk is the first of its kind in the world, allowing jaguars to travel through the habitats of other species.
A larger-than-life brick jaguar face featuring the names of donors on the main pathway of NEOTROPICA will also be unveiled on Friday. The jaguar brick campaign was part of a recovery effort for the zoo coming out of pandemic-related challenges in 2020.
About San Antonio Zoological Society
San Antonio Zoological Society was established in 1929 and is a nonprofit organization committed to securing a future for wildlife. The society operates San Antonio Zoo, Will Smith Zoo School, Edutainment, Center for Conservation and Research at San Antonio Zoo, and Kiddie Park.
Website – www.sazoo.org
About San Antonio Zoo
San Antonio Zoo®, operating since 1914, is a nonprofit zoological facility committed to securing a future for wildlife. Through its passion and expertise in animal care, conservation, and education, the zoo’s mission is to inspire its community to love, engage with, act for and protect animals and the places they live. The zoo welcomes more than a million visitors each year and is open year-round. San Antonio Zoo operates the largest nature based preschool in the country, Will Smith Zoo School, the Center for Conservation and Research, and Kiddie Park. San Antonio Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Zoological Association of America, and Humane Certified by American Humane.
Website – www.sazoo.org
Facebook – www.facebook.com/SanAntonioZoo
Twitter – www.twitter.com/SanAntonioZoo
Instagram – www.instagram.com/SanAntonioZoo
About Texas A&M University-San Antonio
Established as a stand-alone university in 2009, Texas A&M University-San Antonio is a comprehensive four-year public university that reflects the culturally diverse, heritage-rich community it serves. Situated on nearly 700 acres in south San Antonio, A&M-San Antonio is a military-embracing institution offering 33 undergraduate degrees and 16 graduate degrees to nearly 7,000 students. The University is home to the Henry G. Cisneros Institute for Emerging Leaders and the Cyber Engineering Technology/Cyber Security Research Center. A&M-San Antonio holds the Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) designation, with more than 75 percent of students who identify as Hispanic. Military Times ranks the University No. 35 in the nation for “Best for Vets: Colleges.” Visit tamusa.edu for more information. #onamission
