ANIMAL
KINGDOM

TOURING
Attraction Seating
   Photo Gallery
Basic Services
Calendar of Events
Character Meet and
   Greet FAQ
Extra Magic Hour
FASTPASS
Fun Facts
Guide Map
Kennels
Operating Hours
Overlooked Attractions
Reader Tips
Rehabs and Closures
Restaurant Photo Gallery
Ride Restrictions
Smoking Policy
Special Needs Travelers
--Animal Kingdom
    in a Wheelchair
Ticket FAQ

WDW At Large

AT A GLANCE...
Animal Species by Area
Attractions
Restaurants
Characters
Shopping

THE OASIS
Place of Transition Part I
Place of Transition Part II

DISCOVERY ISLAND
The Tree of Life
It's Tough to be a Bug
Discovery Island Trails

CAMP MINNIE-MICKEY
Festival of the Lion King
Pocahontas and Her
   Forest Friends
Character Greeting
   Trails

AFRICA
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Pangani Forest
   Exploration Trail

RAFIKI'S PLANET WATCH

ASIA
Expedition EVEREST
Flights of Wonder
Kali River Rapids
Maharajah Jungle Trek

DINOLAND U.S.A.
Dinosaur
The Boneyard
Dino-Sue
Chester and Hester's
   Dino-Rama
   --Primeval Whirl
   --Triceratop Spin
Finding Nemo: The Musical

ENTERTAINMENT
Mickey's Jammin'
   Jungle Parade
Mickey's JINGLE Jungle Parade
DiVine
Live Entertainment

Special Reports
African Comb Duck
Asian Tigers
Baby African Elephants
Capybara
Giraffe
Nile Hippopotamus
Okapi
Photo Essays
Gorillas
Faces
Hidden Mickeys
Park Details

ALL EARS®
Feature Articles
-- Animal Kingdom Turns 5
-- Kaleidoscopic Kingdoms
-- Other Side of Animal Kingdom

TOURS
-- Back Stage Safari
-- Wild by Design

ARCHIVES
Tarzan Rocks! Closed 1/06
Journey into the Jungle Book
Closed 4/99
Lucky the Dinosaur May-July 2005
March of the Artimals Closed 6/99
Radio Disney River Cruise aka
Discovery River Taxi aka
Discovery RiverBoat Ride aka
Discovery River Boats - Retired 1999
Walk Around Artimals
Pre-Opening Guide Map

OTHER THEME PARKS
Disney's Hollywood
   Studios
Epcot
Magic Kingdom

Disneyland
Disney's California
    Adventure

INTRODUCTION

Pangani Forest Exploration Trail takes you into a lush, tropical forest found in the heart of Africa where you can explore a variety of old and new animal friends.

ATTRACTION

The Okapi, Okapia johnstoni , is the only known living relative of the giraffe. They are dark chestnut brown with distinctive stripes on their legs, similar to Zebras.The most giraffe-like feature of the okapi is their very long black tongue. The Okapi have always been rare and is very shy. They are native to the tropical forests of northeastern Zaire.

The Stanley Crane ( Anthropoides paradisea ), sometimes known as the Paradise Crane or Blue Crane, is the National bird of South Africa. Stanley Cranes can sometimes be found standing asleep in water with flamingos and other cranes. In the wild their diet can consist of insects, worms, small reptiles and amphibians, small mammals and seeds and bulbs.

As you leave the first observation post, your path takes you into a research building.The research building has a few small exhibits, but the highlight of your visit will be the Naked Mole Rats. (Wheelchair/Stroller note: the doors in and out of the research building are awkward and heavy!)

The Naked Mole Rats are very curious animals. You'll have to try and get close to the glass so you can see them burrowing about in their entirely underground habitat. They are the only hairless rodents. They live in colonies with a structure resembling that of insect colonies. Each colony has a queen, a breeding male, soldiers, and workers.

Soon the sound of birds fill your ears as you enter the aviary area. Carmine bee-eaters, red-bearded barbets, Brimstone canaries and other rare African birds can be found here. Don't spend all your time looking up -- you'll find birds on ground level too!

Hippos!! Leaving the aviary through a screen door, you pass into another open air shelter with a dam on the far wall with a large panel of inch-thick glass, holding the pond. The pool is home to a trio of giant hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius).

This is a great underwater viewing area. The Hippo is a river dwelling mammal from tropical Africa and is related to the pig. Males are approximately 5 feet tall and can weigh five TONS! The hippos will spend most of their time in the water but can relax on nearby boulders, particularly in cooler weather.

Back on the trail you will come to a thatched roof structure and a large Savannah overlook into the grasslands. Tiny dik-diks, Gerenuks, and others are seen grazing in knee-high grass. The Gerenuk (Litocranius walleri walleri ) is sometimes called a gazelle-giraffe because their long neck is similar to the giraffe and they have a gazelle-like body shape. An interesting fact I discovered - Gerenuk's have a special muscle on their lips which is puncture proof.

Timon!!! Yes, also in this area are Meerkats which delight children and adults with their sentinel behaviors. Meerkats are found in Southern Africa and the Kalahari Desert. They are 12 inches tall and have tails that can grow 8 inches long. They are very territorial and can often be found standing erect, guarding their space. Meerkats have an interesting diet which includes scorpions (they are immune to their venom) beetles, spiders, centipedes, worms, crickets, small mammals,small reptiles, birds, eggs, and roots.

Another member of the antelope family is found in this Savannah is Gunther's Dik-dik. They are found in the dry brush country of Tanzania and Kenya. Fully grown, they weigh about 12 pounds and will stand 12 inches tall at the shoulder. They are able to survive on the moisture from the vegetation they eat and sometimes go for long periods without drinking.

Following the leafy trail is the Gorilla Research Camp. As you enter, you'll find everyone pressed up against the glass viewing the gorilla family. Two young females and a silverback (adult) male and a baby or two may come into view. Gino, the silverback, is the head of the family troop and came from the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. Gino's family as of July 2007 now is a 12-year old male, 9-year old male, and 6-year old female along with the breeding female. Cast members in this area will be glad to answer any questions you may have.

Exit this area to come to an open air viewing area of the gorillas.

Stand on the swaying suspension bridge for a wonderful view of the more gorillas. On the left side is a bachelor group of 4 males.

Trail walkers catch a final glimpse of the gorillas through a "bamboo" fence before heading to the end of Pangani Forest Exploration Trail near the Harambe station of the Wildlife Express trains.

TOURING TIPS

Be sure to ask the Guides any questions you might have about the animals you encounter during your trek. Many of the guides are native to Africa.

There are plenty of viewing areas for kids and lots of educational opportunities too.

Of course, the gorilla exhibit is a big draw, but it was very crowded at the observation window. After about 15 minutes of jockeying for a good view, we decided to move on. Well, just as we rounded the next turn, we were on a bridge overlooking the gorillas from the right-hand side. We had a perfect view of the male silverback, and also of a couple of females and youths. Now we know that if the viewing area is crowded, keep moving along and good (if not better) viewing opportunities await! (Kathy Coppola )

EDITOR'S NOTE: Though just past the glass viewing area gives you a view of the Family Troop section of the exhibit, if the gorillas are extremely close to the glass, it's difficult to see them from that point. Also, the bridge and the area beyond are the only spots from which you can view the Bachelor Troop.

KIDS AND CHARACTERS

Animal Kingdom Characters At A Glance 
Character Meet and Greet FAQ!

For more information on Animal Kingdom Live Entertainment, Visit Steve Soares' WDW Entertainment Website.

DINING

In Harambe Village you will find Tusker House (counter service), the Dawa Bar, Harambe Fruit Market, Kusafiri Coffee & Bakery, and Tamu Tamu (ice cream).

Animal Kingdom Restaurants At A Glance
Menus From Around the World
Vegetarian and Other Special Diets

SHOPPING

The shopping area is back in Harambe Village.

INTERESTING FACTS

The hippos are actually the same ones you will sometimes see on the Kilimanjaro Safari ride in the savannah. The hippo barn resides in between Pangani Forest Exploration Trail and the savannah river.

When Animal Kingdom opened in April 1998, this trail was named Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail -- it was renamed a few months later.

The Endangered Animal Rehabilitation Centre is dedicated to the welfare of animals threatened by the loss of forests and from poaching. The exhibit houses 5 Black and White Colobus Monkeys and 1 Duiker.

"The black-and-white colobus is found across equatorial Africa. There are five species, among which the color varies from all black to a skunklike black-and-white pattern. Black-and-white colobus monkeys weigh up to 9 kg (up to 20 lb). They live in small social groups of about ten animals, composed of one adult male plus females and their offspring." (http://www.africana.com)

Duikers are small antelopes and can dive quickly to hide.

More Gorilla photos

Colobus Monkey
Gorilla
Kenyan Sand Boa
Kori Bustard
Meerkat
Naked Mole Rat
Nile Hippopotamus
Okapi
Spiney Tailed Lizard
Stanley Crane
Tarantula
Yellow-backed Duiker

African Grey Parrot
African Hoopoe
African Jacana
African White-backed Duck
Amethyst Starling
Bearded Barbet
Black Crake
Brimstone Canary
Carmine Bee-eater
Emerald Starling
Golden-breasted Starling
Hadada Ibis
Hammerkop
Hottentot Teal
Lake Victoria Cichlids
Magpie Shrike
Marbled Teal
Olive Pigeon
Pygmy Goose
Snowy-headed Robin Chat
Superb Starling
Taveta Golden Weaver
White-backed Duck
White-bellied Go-away Bird
White-collared Kingfisher