How the San Antonio Zoo pranked local, national media on April Fools’ Day
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Elephants Nicole (from left), Lucky, and Karen meander in their habitat Saturday June 17, 2017 at the San Antonio Zoo.
Elephants Nicole (from left), Lucky, and Karen meander in their habitat Saturday June 17, 2017 at the San Antonio Zoo.
Photo: Edward A. Ornelas
Elephants Nicole (from left), Lucky, and Karen meander in their habitat Saturday June 17, 2017 at the San Antonio Zoo.
Elephants Nicole (from left), Lucky, and Karen meander in their habitat Saturday June 17, 2017 at the San Antonio Zoo.
Photo: Edward A. Ornelas
Elephants at the San Antonio Zoo didn’t really take a dip in the San Antonio River this week, but many were tricked into believing sights from Asia took place in the Alamo City.
Headlines and broadcasts from local media outlets and national ones, like The Hill, on Thusday shared images of elephants taking on a walk in the park during the coronavirus shutdownts. The sight of the massive animals playing in the San Antonio River delighted many, but it was all an April Fools’ joke.
The photos actually weren’t even from San Antonio or the river.
In the final sentence of a lengthy Facebook post, the zoo told followers to “have a wonderful April 1” and hoped the idea prompted a “smile during challenging times.” The comment was not included in press materials sent to media outlets. The information sent to the San Antonio Express-News does not explicitly mention an April Fools’ joke, however the zoo did say the photos included for media to use were taken at Kulen Elephant Forest in Asia, not San Antonio.
While the zoo is home to Asian elephants Lucky, Karen and Nicole, lovingly called “The Golden Girls,” the trio is not the elephants in the photos included in the press materials.
Both The Hill and KSAT published articles detailing how each outlet sourced information provided in official communication from the zoo for their respective reporting.
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“We admit we fell for it for a few minutes, until President & CEO of San Antonio Zoo Tim Morrow reached out and clarified, saying the zoo has a history of April Fool’s jokes,” the KSAT article reads.
Facebook fans were both delighted by the photos and disappointed to see the walks didn’t actually happen. Some asked if the zoo would be able to make something similar happen while visitors are away during the stay at home orders.
The zoo was not immediately available to comment, but said on Twitter they participate in April Fools’ jokes “every year.”
The zoo wasn’t the only one who tried to pull a fast one via social media on the prankster holiday. The New Braunfels Journal shared a link with a headline claiming Wurstfest, the popular fall event, was canceled for 2020. Readers who clicked the link for the “full story” were met with a “GOTCHA” message.
Brands like Google, SodaStream, Honda, T-Mobile and Giphy all sat out on the yearly tradition of releasing fake advertising campaigns during the difficult time, according to AdWeek.
Madalyn Mendoza is a breaking news reporter and general assignment writer. Read her on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | [email protected] | @MaddySkye
