Disney Shares “Wild” Stats About Conservation on Earth Day
As you probably know, today is Earth Day 2024. I don’t know about you, but when I think of the environmental holiday, I think of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
After all, it was on this date 26 years ago that Disney’s Animal Kingdom officially opened!
In celebration of both the park’s anniversary and Earth Day, Dr. Mark Penning, Vice President of Animals, Science and Environment, Disney Parks, revealed 5 fun facts about Disney’s conservation efforts. Here is what we learned!
There Are 5,000 Animals Across Walt Disney World
Animal care teams at Disney’s Animal Kingdom are tasked with caring for more than 300 species and 5,000 animals across Walt Disney World.
As an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Disney’s Animal Kingdom has collaborated with experts to help increase populations of endangered and threatened species.
In the last year alone, the park has seen the birth of a cotton-op tamaris, an okapi, a yellow-back duiker, and even an African elephant calf!
Disney Serves 10,000 Pounds of Animal Food DAILY
Here’s a fun fact: Did you know that Disney prepares over 1,200 individual meals for the animals across Walt Disney World?
The Animation Nutrition Center is tasked with providing the highest quality of animal nutrition and serves an estimated 10,000 pounds of food daily!
Conservation Efforts on Disney Properties Around the Globe
The nearly 150 Cast Members from Disney’s Animals, Science, and Environment team have provided their expertise to help wildlife at both Walt Disney World and around the globe.
Some of their more recent achievements include providing more than 500 nesting compartments across Disney World for purple martin songbirds, reintroducing thousands of butterflies back into the wild, and helping monitor and record over 20,000 seat turtle nests at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort.
Cast Members and guests have also helped the planet by supporting the Disney Conservation Fund, which has awarded more than $125 million to nonprofit organizations since 1995.
Protecting Pollinators
Did you know? Almost one-third of the food that we eat comes from plants that depend on pollinators.
From bees and birds to bats and butterflies, the Disney Conservation team has collaborated with partners to expand the habitats of pollinators across Walt Disney World. Their efforts have led to more than 75 species of pollinators using these habitats.
The Disney Conservation Fund has also supported more than 20 projects across North America to save pollinators like butterflies.
The Kilimanjaro Safaris
Last but certainly not least, let’s talk about the Kilimanjaro Safaris.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s signature attraction, the safari, hosts over 30 species of animals, both big and small. Most importantly, however, the Kilimanjaro Safirs are designed to look and feel like the animal’s natural African habitat. This makes the residents feel at home.
The attention to detail on the Safaris has allowed Disney to welcome threatened and endangered species such as the African elephant, the Hartmann’s Mountain zebras, white rhinos, and more!
To learn more about Disney’s conservation efforts, visit DisneyPlanetPossible.com
Thanks for visiting MickeyBlog.com! Want to go to Disney? For a FREE quote on your next Disney vacation, please fill out the form below. One of the agents from MickeyTravels, a Diamond level Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, will be in touch soon! Also, thanks for reading!