When you think Walt Disney World, you might not think of elephants, giraffes, and lions. But they’re there — and we’re not just talking animatronics! Hundreds of exotic species live and roam across the property — primarily at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and EPCOT’s Seas pavilion.

And while you’ve possibly enjoyed attractions like Kilimanjaro Safaris or the Seabase, we can bet you don’t know all of these cool facts about the wild residents of Disney World!

Five Wild Facts About Disney World’s Animals

1. Baby Grace

If you’ve taken a jaunt on the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail in the past two years, you may have seen a sweet little new addition.

Baby Grace was born at Animal Kingdom in May 2019, as part of the Species Survival Plan that the park participates in to help protect certain animals. And her name Grace isn’t just pretty; she’s named after the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education center in the Democratic Republic of the Congo! Get it — G.R.A.C.E.? 🙂 Disney’s Conservation Fund has partnered with GRACE for over 10 years to help rehab and protect gorillas in the wild.

Pretty special name, huh?

2. A LOT of Food

When you have a lot of big and exotic animals, that means you have a LOT of hungry mouths to feed. There are around 300 species and 2000 individual animals to be cared for at Walt Disney World!

Disney Animal Scientists at the Nutrition Center prepare over 1,500 meals for the animals (some eat in groups) every day — and it totals over 10,000 pounds of food for the animals at Animal Kingdom and Animal Kingdom Lodge!

3. Lots of Fish!

Swimming over to EPCOT, it’s no surprise that the SeaBase is home to a lot of aquatic creatures.

But did you know that over 60 species live these tanks!? That’s a lot of fish and squeaky mammals! In fact, the Seas was the largest aquarium in North America until the Georgia Aquarium opened in 2005.

4. Famous Animals

Did you know the animals you see at Animal Kingdom are famous? And not just on the trails and Kilimanjaro Safaris!

Many of the animals, such as the lions, hyenas, warthogs, and meerkats, were used as models for the “live-action” version of The Lion King. The creators observed, photographed, and filmed the real animals, and they used their findings to create the “real” animals in the movie! Next time you’re on Kilimanjaro Safaris, you may just be seeing the REAL Nala, Simba, or Pumbaa!

5. Saving the Animals

Did you know that Disney has helped endangered species survive by breeding at the park? They’ve had 11 white rhino babies, several giraffes, and 40 Guam Kingfisher Chicks born at the park. (This last one is a huge deal considering there were only about 150 of these birds in the world after those 40!)

Disney is not only saving animals at home but also around the world! The Disney Conservation Fund has raised over $100 million dollars for species worldwide. You can help their efforts anytime you’re in Animal Kingdom; make any size donation at any shop, and Disney will match it! Plus you get a cool button.

What is your favorite animal to see at Disney World? Let us know in the comments!

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