Animal Kingdom

• Kilimanjaro Safari
• Pangani Exploration Trail

Pangani Forest Exploration Trail

Following your African safari adventure, follow the signs to the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail. Entering under the lush tropical canopy, this walk-through tour is designed to inform and entertain and can be enjoyed at your own pace. Pangani, which means, “place of enchantment”, is the perfect description of this 5 acre habitat that offers a magical look at some of Africa’s most interesting inhabitants.

Along the trail, you will enter a field hut that contains displays of nests, bones, African wildlife facts and a very intriguing colony of naked mole rats. These little burrowers, with faces that only a mother could love, are fascinating in that they have highly organized societies and are so protective and caring of one another. As you exit the hut, you will find yourself in an aviary of free-flying African birds.There are guides available with the different varieties to be found here.See how many you can spot.As you meander along the trail, you will encounter an African grasslands exhibit where you can observe the grazers such as tiny antelopes, Guenther’s dik-diks, Thomson’s gazelles, gerenuk and meerkats, the most famous of these is The Lion King’s Timon.An opportunity to view an underwater “hippo ballet” is not to be missed as a glass wall below water level offers a perfect view.It’s mesmerizing to watch these oversized beasts slowly roll and glide through the water with grace and ease.

The “headliners” at the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail are the lowland gorillas.The family of silverbacks are housed on one side of the path and are visible through a glass viewing area.The father, two mothers and their young may choose to entertain and enthrall visitors with their antics, or they may choose to retreat to the privacy of their forest.Across the stream and gorge that provides a natural boundary that separates the two groups, is the forest that is home to the bachelors.These young silverbacks roughhouse and cavort as they determine which dominant male will be the next family leader.At each of the exhibits, there are experts to answer questions and supply information about the animals.

The Pangani Forest Exploration Trail is wheelchair accessible.

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