INSPECTION. THAT’S WHAT’S HAPPENING BEHIND THE KITCHEN DOOR. TIM GERBER KSAT, 12 NEWS.
>> WELL, THE SAN ANTONIO ZOO IS
A STAPLE OF FAMILY FRIENDLY FUN
AROUND THE ALAMO CITY. AND
THERE ARE BIG CHANGES ON THE
WAY.
>> AND SO JOINING US IN TODAY’S
LEADING SA SEGMENT IS TIM
MORROW, CEO OF THE SAN ANTONIO
ZOO. GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING. THANKS FOR
HAVING ME. THANK YOU FOR
JOINING TIM, RIGHT OF THE BAT.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BIG
STRUCTURAL CHANGES? PEOPLE ARE
GOING TO BE SEEN COMING TO
THE ZOO?
>> IF THERE’S A LOT OF CHANGES
GOING ON RIGHT NOW ARE REALLY
GROWING IN IMPROVING. THE
BIGGEST ONE OF PEOPLE ARE GOING
TO NOTICE IS AN ALL NEW
ENTRANTS COMING IN. THAT
CONSTRUCTION HAS ALREADY SO THE
ZOO IS OPERATING WITH 2 NEW
ENTRANCES AND THEN IN THE NEXT
12 MONTHS, PEOPLE SEE OUR OLD
ENTRANCE. THAT WAS NOT IN THE
1950’S COME DOWN IN A BEAUTIFUL
GRAND NEW INTEREST THAT REALLY
BETTER REPRESENT. SAN ANTONIO
REPRESENTS OUR WILL BE COMING
OUT OF THE GROUND AND OPEN
LATER THIS YEAR.
>> WOW, THAT’S REALLY EXCITING.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE PROBABLY
LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT AD.
MAYBE YOU CAN ALSO TALK ABOUT
THE NEW EXHIBITS THAT ARE ON
THE WAY.
>> YEAH, WE HAVE. WE JUST ARE
OPENING OUR JOHN AND REALLY
LESS BUTTERFLY RAIN FOR SO WE
YOU KNOW, WE HAD BUTTERFLY
HOUSE THAT WAS TEMPORARILY
BUILT 20 YEARS AGO. AND NOW
WE’VE BUILT IN A BEAUTIFUL
GLASS BUTTERFLY HOUSE THAT, YOU
KNOW, THE OPEN YEAR-ROUND ARE
PROBABLY COST YOU TIME AND TIME
TO SPOT WILL OPEN FULLY THIS
YEAR. SO WE’RE REALLY EXCITED
ABOUT THAT. AND AS A NEW
SPECIES WILL BE COMING LIVE
NEAR CAST THIS YEAR, THINGS
THAT WE HAVE NOT HAD BEFORE.
SO LOTS OF CHANGES HAPPENING AT
THE ZOO. LOT OF POSITIVE
THINGS. A LOT OF EXCITEMENT
BEING GENERATED WE’RE REALLY
EXCITED ABOUT 2023.
>> THERE IS SO MUCH EXCITEMENT
AND NOT JUST 2023, BUT WE KNOW
THERE ARE SOME BIG PLAN
PROJECTS. YOU KNOW WHAT IS THE
FULL TIME TABLE LOOK LIKE, YOU
KNOW, WHEN WILL THE GENERAL
PUBLIC SEE THE COMPLETED
CHANGES?
>> SURE. WELL, THEY SHOULD SEE
A NEW FRONT GATE THIS YEAR.
SO WE’RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT
OPENING THAT AROUND CHRISTMAS
TIME AROUND THE BEGINNING OF
OUR ZOO LIGHTS PROGRAM. THE
OTHER BIG THING WE HAVE COMING
ONLINE IS GORILLAS. WE HAVEN’T
HAD A GIRL AT SANTA DISEASE
SINCE WE’RE BUILDING A VERY
LARGE. HAVEN’T ACTUALLY DESIGN
IS THE LARGEST HABITAT IN THE
COUNTRY. WE’RE HOPING TO HAVE
UP TO 10 OR 12 GORILLAS.
I’M REALLY SAD ABOUT THAT.
THAT SHOULD OPEN EARLY 2025 AND
THEN THE CROWD COST YOU TIME
TO TIME. THEY JUST BOUGHT AN
ARMY BUTTERFLY HOUSE ARE
OPENING NOW SO PEOPLE CAN COME
TO SPRING BREAK OR THIS MONTH
AND START TO EXPERIENCE THOSE
THINGS. BUT LOTS OF BIG CHANGES
COMING TO THE ZOO.
>> OK, AND ON THE PREVENTION
FRONT, WE KEEP SEEING ISSUES AT
OTHER ZOOS LIKE THE MONKEY
SITUATION AT DALLAS AND THE
OUTLET NEW YORK CITY. WHAT
PRECAUTIONS ARE IN PLACE TO
MAKE SURE THE SAN ANTONIO ZOO
IS SAFER GUESTS. AND OF COURSE,
THE ANIMALS.
>> SURE SO AS AN ACCREDITED
ZOO AND AS A ZOO OPERATOR WITH
THE SAFETY OF THE PEOPLE THAT
COME HERE, THE PEOPLE THAT WERE
HERE AND ANIMALS IS ALWAYS A
TOP PRIORITY. AND SO, YOU KNOW,
WE HAVE SECURITY ON GROUNDS.
24 HOURS A DAY, WE’RE
MONITORING THROUGH CAMERAS AND
PEOPLE. 24 HOURS A DAY, OUR
ANIMAL CARE DOING CHECKS AND
HABITATS. AND SO WE’RE REALLY
FOCUSED ON SAFETY. WE WERE VERY
CLOSELY WITH THE SAN ANTONIO
PROPER POLICE, THE SAN ANTONIO
POLICE AND THE BEXAR COUNTY
SHERIFF, ESPECIALLY WHEN THINGS
LIKE THIS START HAPPENING
AROUND THE COUNTRY WERE VERY
CLOSE CONTACT. SO I’M WORKING
REALLY HARD TO KEEP A ZOO
SAFETY OF ANIMALS SAFE AND KEEP
OPERATING IN A MANNER WHERE
PEOPLE CAN FEEL COMFORTABLE
COMING HERE AND NOT TO WORRY
ABOUT SOMETHING HAPPENING OR
SOMETHING HAPPENING TO
OUR ANIMALS.
>> SO VALENTINE’S DAY JUST
AROUND THE CORNER LAST TIME WAS
THAT WE TALKED ABOUT THE CRIMEA
COCKROACH FUNDRAISER. SO WHAT
ARE THE SOME OF THOSE NUMBERS
LOOK LIKE SO THAT THAT IS WHAT
IT WILL FUND RAISER? WE STARTED
A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WHERE YOU
CAN NAME A COCKROACH OR ARE AT
OR PIECE OF LETTUCE AFTER NEXT.
AND LAST YEAR, FOR EXAMPLE, OFF
IF THESE PEOPLE FROM ALL 50
STATES PARTICIPATED IN FROM
OVER 30 COUNTRIES.
>> AND IT’S THE SAME TREND
WE’RE SEEING THIS YEAR. WE’RE
ACTUALLY SURPASSING LAST YEAR’S
NUMBERS AS MORE PEOPLE HAVE ARE
HAVING IT SAYS ARE MORE PEOPLE
ARE JUST AWARE ARE TRYING TO
ACCOMPLISH CAMPAIGN. BUT IT’S A
GREAT FUNDRAISER FOR THE ZOO.
AND NOW WE’RE REALLY EXCITED
ABOUT WHAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE
GOING TO DO TO HELP US MISSION
THIS YEAR PEOPLE MAYBE AXES
AFTER RICHES AND AND RATS AFTER
THEIR EXES.
>> OH, THAT SOUNDS THAT’S THE
FIRST TIME I HEARD THAT IT AND
I’M ALSO HERE THERE’S A HIPPO
VALENTINE’S DAY DINNER. IF YOU
COULD TALK ABOUT THAT, I’M
REALLY INTERESTED AS WELL.
YES, AND THERE’S A LOT ON OUR
VISIT. I HAVE ALLAN TIMES TIME.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE
HAVE A REALLY FINE DINING
DINNER EXPERIENCE IN OUR POLL
VIEWING ROOM. SO IT’S A
FOUR-COURSE MEAL WITH A BOTTLE
OF WINE. ADAM BEYER, INCREDIBLE
CHEF TEAM WAS LIVE
ENTERTAINMENT, ACOUSTIC MUSIC
AND SO PERFECT PLACE FOR A DATE
NIGHT. VERY UNIQUE. I’M PRETTY
SURE NO ONE ELSE ANTONIO HAS AT
THEIR VALENTINE’S DINNER.
SO A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR
COUPLES TO COME AND TAKE PART
OF THAT. AND THEN WE HAVE ME
HERE NEXT STEPS, WHICH IT IS A
SINGLE FOR PEOPLE TO COME TO
THE ZOO. JUST HAVE A GOOD TIME
TO MEET OTHER SINGLES AND SPEED
DATE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THERE’S LITERALLY SOMETHING
FOR EVERYBODY IN SAN ANTONIO
ZOO IN REGARDS TO VALENTINE’S
TOMORROW. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
JOINING US THIS MORNING.
WE HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION,
ALL THE EVENTS WERE JUST
TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW ON KSAT
DOT COM AND OF ANYONE.
>> MISS ANY OF THIS INTERVIEW.
WE’RE ALSO GOING TO POST IT ON