'It Made Me So Sad': Man Visits Gorilla At San Antonio Zoo. He Thinks It's A Fake—And It’s Not Just Him

A San Antonio man believes a gorilla at the San Antonio Zoo is fake.

In a TikTok that’s generated over 535,000 views as of this writing, San Antonio content creator (@satxfam21) says he isn’t convinced the gorilla is real. Others feel the same.

In the TikTok, the content creator films the gorilla at the San Antonio Zoo. What’s interesting is the gorilla’s movement and choice to stay within a tightly confined space in the zoo.

“You can’t tell me that is not a human in a gorilla suit at the San Antonio Zoo,” the onscreen text reads.

The gorilla starts his movement by pounding its chest and doing a small jump. In the next clip, the gorilla is seen staring at the glass above the walkway with a ponderous expression.

“Some days it feels like there is a person inside of a gorilla suit, like one day all gorillas went extinct and the world governments have fooled us to believe that gorillas are still real,” he captions the post.
Others are equally convinced the gorilla is fake.

“I swear the SA zoo has fake animals," one commenter agreed.

People worry about the gorilla’s welfare

While some wondered if the gorilla was an actor in a costume, others expressed concern for its welfare.

“Why is he in such a small space?” one commenter wondered.

“Idk why this makes me lowkey sad,” another added.

“It made me so sad cause he genuinely looks so confused,” a third said.

Others insisted the San Antonio Zoo is a great facility for the gorilla and that it has ample room to roam.

“OK y’all they are in a state-of-the-art facility on a 2 acre enclosure. Just google Congo Falls San Antonio Zoo. See for yourself,” one of the zoo’s many defenders wrote.

“I grew up going to the SA zoo and they are nothing like other zoos. They take amazing care of the animals and the whole zoo is absolutely beautiful and the enclosures are truly like animal sanctuaries. Congo falls is a 2-acre gorilla habitat!” another wrote.

“I was there! For context, y’all, this is a walkway in their large habitat,” a third pointed out.

“My brother in law helped with the design of the exhibit. They have an insane amount of space, for whatever reason they choose to stay in this part of their enclosure. This exhibit is basically their own building. It's gigantic,” said yet another.

How big is the gorilla enclosure at the San Antonio zoo?

While many viewers worry the space is too small for the gorilla, the enclosure at this zoo is actually relatively expansive.

According to the San Antonio Zoo, Congo Falls is a world-class two-acre immersive habitat for its gorillas. The zoo says that it is the tallest and wildest gorilla experience.

Congo Falls houses seven gorillas across two acres. The open-air habitat reportedly mimics the terrain of the African jungle, with waterfalls and climbing structures. Congo Falls also offers interactive browsing gardens.

“Congo Falls is more than just a habitat; it’s a testament to the zoo’s commitment to conservation, education, and innovation,” per San Antonio Zoo.

The Today Show has reported that the gorillas’ habitat is groundbreaking for a zoo.

The zoo’s commitment to gorillas extends beyond its enclosure. The San Antonio Zoo and Atlanta Zoo have also agreed to collaborate on the Gorilla Species Survival Plan. This plan was put in place to boost efforts in conservation of western lowland gorilla.

Why do people believe the gorilla is fake?

This isn’t the first time someone has speculated an animal at a zoo was fake.

A few years ago a viral rumor held that the sun bears at a Chinese zoo were just humans on costumes. The rumor appears to have started because sun bears have similar postures and gestures as humans and even were seen waving to the crowd.

The rumor, however far-fetched, was so pervasive that the BBC eventually debunked it.

At the time, the San Antonio Zoo even hopped onto the trend by posting a photo of their sun bear with the caption “#iamreal.”

The San Antonio Zoo social media team has a history of having fun on the internet. In April 2020, they told people their elephants took a swim in the San Antonio River, My San Antonio reports.

“The April Fool’s joke tricked a number of media outlets, including The Hill and local TV station KSAT,” per The Hill.

The San Antonio Zoo later clarified that the photo was not taken in the San Antonio River.

So given these stories, people may be more inclined to believe that the San Antonio Zoo has fake gorillas.

Clearly it’s highly unlikely, even impossible, that the gorillas at the zoo are humans in suits. That hasn’t stopped people from having fun with the viral post.

“That’s actually my sister. Y’all say hi,” one person joked. Another added, “That’s my brother at his new job.”

@satxfam210

Patch has contacted @satxfam21 via TikTok direct message. We’ll update this if he responds.

Update: Via email, Jacob Downing, social media manager of the San Antonio Zoo, told Patch, "He’s real! The gorilla you see in the video is named Ajari. He is one of seven gorillas that call Congo Falls at San Antonio Zoo home. He is 25 years old and weighs over 400 pounds. While this video is real, AI animal videos have become a concern for zoos, aquariums and conservation organizations."