Happy Hollow’s new jaguar making himself at home in San Jose

A cloud of disappointment was setting in Friday afternoon for me and other visitors to Happy Hollow Park & Zoo gathered around the jaguar habitat hoping to get a glimpse of its newest resident.

Sonries, a 9-year-old male who arrived earlier this summer, had not yet come out of his “night house,” which is kind of a pied-à-terre where he sleeps and goes to get away from it all. Zoo Curator Shawna Protze said it’s not unusual for any cats — from your standard rescue to a 130-pound jaguar — to take a while to get used to a new environment, and he’s been prowling the publicly visible habitat for only two weeks.

“He mostly likes to be in his night house. He’s still very much an indoor kitty,” she said, suggesting he’s often more active in the afternoon. Has anyone ever known a morning cat?

But perhaps realizing he had an adoring public waiting, Sonries eventually slinked into the habitat area and put on a show for his fans. He chomped down on a couple of paper bags filled with straw and some rodent food, strutted around the rocks and trees and finally climbed a split-log ramp up to a tree roost, doing his best imitation of a lion. This cat should get on an audition list list next time Broadway San Jose has “The Lion King” in town.

It’s been a little over a year since San Jose said farewell to Sophia, the 21-year-old jaguar who had been at the San Jose zoo for nearly her entire life, delighting millions of guests. She was euthanized in June 2025 as she was quickly declining due to a kidney disease, and her popular habitat had been empty since then.

Sonries — his name is inspired by the Spanish word sonreír or “to smile” because the spots between his eyes look like a smiley face — arrived early this summer from the Los Angeles Zoo, where the 9-year-old male had been part of the breeding program. He was removed from that program because of he has a rare joint abnormality called elbow displaysia. The genetic condition is hereditary; one of Happy Hollow’s previous jaguars, Kianto, also had it (and yes, Kianto and Sonries are related).

Guests planning to attend the fourth annual Hooray for Happy Hollow, a fundraiser for Happy Hollow Foundation on Sept. 12 may also have an opportunity to get a close look at Sonries. But it’ll be up to the big cat whether he wants to say hello or stay in for the evening.

“We don’t make animals do anything they don’t want to do,” Protze said. And that probably goes double for jaguars.

DRIVING THROUGH HISTORY: The Santa Clara Valley Model T Ford Club is back at History Park in San Jose this Saturday for the 26th annual Cars in the Park. As the club’s name implies, car junkies will get an opportunity to see lots of Model T’s and other antique autos from more than a century ago on display. But there’ll be some relatively “modern” cars this year, as the event has expanded its offerings to vehicles produced through 1955 (1949 was last year’s cutoff).

That means there could be some Chevy Bel-Airs (introduced 1950), Chevrolet Corvettes (1953) and Ford Thunderbirds (1955) at the park, too. On top of that, there’ll be live music, vintage fashions and the annual highlight — the on-the-spot assembly of a Model T. Tickets are $11, with discounts for seniors, youth and History San Jose members. Go to www.historysanjose.org for more information.

BRINGING THE HEAT: This year’s Chile, Mole, Pozole event at the Mexican Heritage Plaza in San Jose on Sept. 12 will turn up the heat with its inaugural chile-eating competition. It’ll be interesting to see how many “Hot Ones” wannabes can sweat it out in pursuit of a grand prize delivered by S.J. Sharkie, the teal-toned mascot of our favorite hockey team (which should be pretty hot on the ice this season).

The family-friendly celebration will include lucha libre matches, dance workshops and a lineup of music and dance headlined by cumbia band Sonora San Jose and including Mariachi Tapatio, Calpulli Ocelocihuatl and Los Lupeños de San Jose. The festival, celebrating Mexican Independence Day, runs from 1 to 5 p.m. More details and tickets are available at mhplaza.org.

WINED AND DINED: I consider it a personal failure that I let the first week of September fly by without getting to Santana Row’s “Let’s Do Lunch” celebration, a monthlong event that offers $25 lunches at most of the San Jose shopping center’s top eateries. In addition to being a good bargain, the second annual Taste of the Row event also supports World Central Kitchen, the nonprofit founded by Chef José Andrés that brings meals to disaster-stricken areas around the globe. You can get more details at santanarow.com.

Tickets for the fifth annual Vine to Wine at Santana Row on Sept. 19 aren’t $25 — they start at $145 plus fees — but it’s likely still a bargain. Guests can partake in unlimited tastings of more than 50 wines (and you’re invited to purchase the ones you like), followed by a four-course Spanish-inspired dinner, with Master Sommelier David Glancy, founder of the San Francisco Wine School, leading the way. And there’s a special ticket price for designated drivers who won’t be partaking of the wine that includes dinner and complimentary soft drinks. Go to santanarow.com/event/vine-to-wine for information.

REMEMBERING 9/11: It should go without saying that those of us who experienced the horrific events of 9/11 in 2001 — even from as far away as the Bay Area — will never forget that tragedy. And recognizing the courage and sacrifice of first responders and community members on that day remains a solemn duty to the San Jose Fire Department, which will host a commemorative Patriot Day ceremony to mark the 25th anniversary of 9/11 on Friday.

Several agencies, including the San Jose Police Department, the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office and the San Jose Police Emerald Society band will take part in the event, which is open to the public. It begins with a procession at 10:45 a.m. that travels from Market and San Fernando streets to Fire Station No. 1 at 255 N. Market St., followed by a ceremony at the station and a reception at the adjacent San Jose Fire Museum. For more details, including parking recommendations, go to bit.ly/SJFDPatriotDay2026.