Animal Care Appreciation Week Celebration Begins
To the thousands of animals that call Walt Disney World Resort home, this week really represents something special. From the mammals that bring Kilimanjaro Safari to life to the cartilaginous and bony undersea dwellers at the Seas pavillion, animals across the resort get to say “thank you” to their incredible caretakers over the next few days in honor of Animal Care Appreciation Week.
Image Credit: Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment Facebook
“Thank you to our amazing team of animal care experts who provide world-class care for the thousands of animals who call Walt Disney World Resort home…from the smallest of insects to the largest of mammals!” said Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment representatives in a Facebook post yesterday.
Over 300 species and two thousands animals rely on Disney animal care specialists at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park alone. Likewise, Sea Base, located within EPCOT, houses over 4,000 creatures from the deep blue sea and more than 60 species.
Image Credit: Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment Facebook
The animal care teams do more than just watch over all of these incredible creatures, many of which represent endangered species. They also spend much time educating guests about convservation and how to protect the animals.
Image Credit: Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment Facebook
In fact, the Walt Disney World Resort offers a number of speciality tours committed to these efforts. The Wild Africa Trek and Caring for Giants experiences at Disney’s Animal Kingdom take guests on unique hikes and adventures on-set with caretakers and educators to discover more about how Disney works with populations around the world to preserve habitats and co-exist with animal species.
Image Credit: Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment Facebook
At Sea Base, guests can explore one of the world’s largest indoor aquariums either through the Seas Aqua Tour (a snorkeling expedition) or through Dolphins in Depth, a backstage experience. Certified scuba divers can also take advantage of Epcot DiveQuest once it returns post-pandemic.
Image Credit: Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment Facebook
In the meantime, head out to Conservation Station inside Rafiki’s Planet Watch at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. There, guests can watch Disney’s incredible team of animal care takers in action. Both the Nutrition Center and the Veterinary Treatment Room often hop with excitement on a daily basis. They may even be caring for one of the latest babies born at the park!
