Dose of Disney: Canines at Kilimanjaro

Hey folks! I know I haven't done a Disney blog in a while, but I can't help but mention this news: there are now hyenas and African wild dogs at Kilimanjaro Safari in Disney's Animal Kingdom! The Safari is a must-see attraction, featuring a variety of African animals, including my favorite, okapis! VIP-style tour guides take you along bumpy roads, through grasslands and jungle-type environments, giving you an up-close and magical experience that only Disney can offer. 

My front-row view on the Safari the last time I went (which was way too long ago!). 

So just this morning I read this article from AllEars.net, a great source of information for Disney fans. It says that the Safari has introduced hyenas and African wild dogs, which is great news! Hyenas have a reputation as being the bad guys, obviously from Disney's Lion King, but in reality are fantastic predators. Their jaws are so strong they can eat teeth, hooves, and bone! They are the most common carnivore in Africa, and just like in the movie, can make a vocalization that sounds like laughter. (More facts about hyenas can be found here.) 

"We;d love for you to stick around for dinner.." "Yeah, we could have whatever's lion around!" "Oh wait wait, I got one, make mine a cub sandwich!" 

African wild dogs, also called painted dogs, are certainly not as well-known as other African carnivores. Unfortunately, they are also endangered. According to IUCN Red List: "the causes of African Wild Dogs’ decline are reasonably well understood and include extreme sensitivity to habitat fragmentation as a consequence of wide-ranging behaviour, conflict with livestock and game farmers, accidental killing by people in snares and road accidents, and infectious disease. All of these causes are associated with human encroachment on African Wild Dog habitat and, as such, have not ceased and are unlikely to be reversible across the majority of the species’ historical range." Hopefully, having them at Kilimanjaro Safari will give the African wild dogs some much-needed attention and promote their conservation. 

Thanks for reading everyone! For more information on Disney and conservation, check out the Disney Conservation Fund and their work. More blogs to come soon, so stay tuned!