The San Antonio Zoo’s new front entrance opened late last year. Credit: Courtesy Photo / San Antonio Zoo

For three consecutive years, Newsweek readers have ranked the San Antonio Zoo among the nation’s 10 best zoos.

Now, this year, the zoo’s leadership wants to to take the top spot, and its asking for San Antonians’ help in achieving that goal.

In a statement issued Tuesday, the San Antonio Zoo is asking fans to log onto Newsweek’s website and vote for it in the magazine’s 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards Best Zoos competition. Voters are able to cast online ballots every day through 11 p.m. Central Time on May 8.

“This is more than a contest; it’s an opportunity to show the nation what makes our zoo and community so extraordinary,” zoo officials said in a statement. “By voting daily, you can help us spotlight San Antonio Zoo’s groundbreaking work and celebrate the spirit that makes Texas strong.”

The San Antonio Zoo has received plenty of national recognition over the years, including being named the No. 3 Best Zoo by Newsweek readers last year and the nation’s second-best zoo by industry magazine Blooloop in 2020. Officials hope this year is the one when the zoo finally breaks into the coveted top slot in such rankings.

“Every vote is a step toward protecting the planet and inspiring new generations to care for wildlife,” zoo officials said in a statement.

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This article appears in Apr 16-29, 2025.

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...