How often does one celebrate a birthday party for a Western Lowland Gorilla, let alone her quinceañera? And what in the hell do you wear?
The San Antonio Zoo’s lovely Merry Leigh, a recent transplant from Atlanta, turned 15 this Saturday, and zoo officials invited the city to celebrate her right of passage with a quinceañera-themed birthday party.
The celebration took place at Congo Falls, the zoo’s new 2-acre gorilla habitat.
The opening of the Falls marks the return of our genetic second cousins to the San Antonio Zoo for the first time in over 35 years, and Merry Leigh is most definitely the belle of the welcome back ball.
While piñatas and wildlife conservation might not seem to be an obvious dovetail, this fiesta definitely qualified as an immersive guest experience.
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The event runs April 25-26, and will feature folklorico dancers, mariachi performers and other live entertainment.
Visitors can catch a glimpse of Jasiri at the zoo’s giraffe barn.
It’s the fourth time in the past three years that the local zoo has made a national Top 10 list.