Disney’s Animal Kingdom is home to animals ranging from African lions, elephants and giraffes to gorillas, tigers, crocodiles, otters, kangaroos, giant anteaters and Komodo dragons. You won’t find them all in one place. The animals are spread across Kilimanjaro Safaris, walking trails, Discovery Island, the Oasis and Conservation Station.
If seeing wildlife is a major reason you’re visiting, the most important places to know are Kilimanjaro Safaris, Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail, Maharajah Jungle Trek, Discovery Island Trails and the Oasis Exhibits.
Disney doesn’t publish one fixed exhaustive list of every individual animal currently visible each day, and animals can move on or off exhibit. The list below is based on the species Disney currently identifies at Animal Kingdom and where guests can see them.
Animal Kingdom Animals List by Area
| Area | Animals you may see |
|---|---|
| Kilimanjaro Safaris | Lions, elephants, giraffes, rhinos, hippos, crocodiles, cheetahs, zebras, hyenas, baboons, okapi, warthogs and more |
| Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail | Western lowland gorillas, hippos, Grevy’s zebra, meerkats, okapi, African birds and invertebrates |
| Maharajah Jungle Trek | Tigers, gibbons, Eld’s deer, blackbuck, Komodo dragons, Malayan flying foxes, water buffalo and more than 50 bird species |
| Discovery Island Trails | Otters, kangaroos, lemurs, flamingos, Galapagos tortoises, African crested porcupines, vultures, cranes, storks and macaws |
| The Oasis | Giant anteaters, babirusas, wallabies, barking deer, spoonbills and other animals |
| Conservation Station | Frogs, lizards, invertebrates and other smaller species, plus animal-care experiences |
| Jumping Junction | Kangaroos and wallabies |
The exact animals you see can vary. Animal Kingdom is dealing with living animals rather than a fixed attraction lineup, so I wouldn’t treat any species as guaranteed to be visible during a particular visit.
Kilimanjaro Safaris Has the Largest Animal Collection
If you only have time for one wildlife experience, I would choose Kilimanjaro Safaris.
Disney says the 110-acre Harambe Wildlife Reserve is home to 34 species. You travel through it in an open-air safari vehicle while a guide points out animals along the route.
Some of the animals Disney currently identifies on the safari include:
- African lions
- African elephants
- Giraffes
- White rhinos
- Hippopotamuses
- Nile crocodiles
- Cheetahs
- Zebras
- Hyenas
- Baboons
- Okapis
- Ankole cattle
- Warthogs
- Flamingos
Disney describes every safari as different because the animals decide where they’ll be and what they’ll be doing. That’s one reason I don’t promise that a particular species will be standing beside the vehicle on every ride.
If Nile crocodiles are specifically what you’re looking for, my Animal Kingdom crocodile guide explains where they appear during the safari.
Animals on Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail
Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail is the walking trail beside Kilimanjaro Safaris in Africa. I think it works especially well immediately after the safari because you’re already in the right place.
Animals currently associated with Gorilla Falls include:
- Western lowland gorillas
- Hippopotamuses
- Grevy’s zebras
- Meerkats
- Okapis
- African birds
- African insects and other invertebrates
The gorillas are the obvious headline, but I wouldn’t rush through the rest of the trail. Okapis are particularly interesting because they’re closely related to giraffes despite their zebra-like striped legs.
Animals on Maharajah Jungle Trek
Maharajah Jungle Trek is in Asia near Kali River Rapids and Expedition Everest. This is where I would go if tigers are near the top of my Animal Kingdom animal list.
Disney currently lists:
- Asian tigers
- Gibbons
- Eld’s deer
- Blackbuck
- Komodo dragons
- Malayan flying foxes
- Water buffalo
- More than 50 species of birds in the aviary
The trail winds through elaborately themed ruins and an aviary, so it feels much more like exploring part of the park than walking through a simple row of exhibits.
Animals Around Discovery Island and the Tree of Life
Discovery Island is easy to overlook because most guests use it as the central route between the park’s larger lands. There are actually several live-animal habitats around the Tree of Life.
Disney currently lists animals on Discovery Island Trails including:
- Asian small-clawed otters
- Red kangaroos
- Ring-tailed lemurs
- Galapagos tortoises
- African crested porcupines
- Lesser flamingos
- White storks
- Saddle-billed storks
- West African crowned cranes
- Lappet-faced vultures
- Macaws
The trails also give you some of the best close views of the Tree of Life and its more than 300 carved animals.
Animals in the Oasis
The first live animals you can encounter are actually near the entrance.
The Oasis Exhibits sit between Animal Kingdom’s entrance and Discovery Island. Disney currently highlights animals including:
- Giant anteaters
- Babirusas
- Wallabies
- Barking deer
- Spoonbills
Babirusas are one of the animals I would specifically look for here. They’re pig relatives native to Indonesia, and the males can develop striking upward-curving tusks.
Conservation Station and Jumping Junction
Conservation Station is different from the other animal areas because you can’t simply walk there from the main park.
You have to take the Wildlife Express Train from Harambe in Africa. Disney currently describes that trip as about seven minutes each way.
At Conservation Station, you can see parts of Disney’s animal-care operation, including:
- The Veterinary Treatment Room
- The Animal Nutrition Window
- Amphibians
- Reptiles
- Invertebrates
There’s also a newer animal experience called Jumping Junction, where you can see kangaroos and wallabies.
Because the train ride adds time in both directions, I would treat Conservation Station as its own part of the day rather than something to squeeze between two nearby rides.
Some of the Most Unusual Animals at Animal Kingdom
Lions, elephants and giraffes get most of the attention, but some of Animal Kingdom’s less famous species are the ones I find most interesting.
| Animal | Where to look |
|---|---|
| Okapi | Gorilla Falls and Kilimanjaro Safaris |
| Babirusa | The Oasis |
| Giant anteater | The Oasis |
| Komodo dragon | Maharajah Jungle Trek |
| Malayan flying fox | Maharajah Jungle Trek |
| Asian small-clawed otter | Discovery Island Trails |
| African crested porcupine | Discovery Island Trails |
| Galapagos tortoise | Discovery Island Trails |
| Meerkat | Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail |
| Nile crocodile | Kilimanjaro Safaris |
Are There Crocodiles at Animal Kingdom?
Yes. Animal Kingdom has Nile crocodiles, and you can see them during Kilimanjaro Safaris.
They are not part of Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail or a hidden Discovery Island exhibit. The crocodile habitat is along the safari route in the Safi River portion of the Harambe Wildlife Reserve.
If that’s the animal you’re specifically trying to find, use my guide to the Animal Kingdom crocodiles rather than searching around the walking trails.
What’s the Best Way to See the Most Animals in One Day?
I would group the animal areas geographically instead of jumping across the park whenever the app shows a shorter wait.
- Ride Kilimanjaro Safaris in Africa.
- Walk Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail immediately afterward.
- Continue around the park to Asia for Maharajah Jungle Trek.
- Explore Discovery Island Trails when you’re back near the Tree of Life.
- Use the Oasis Exhibits either shortly after entering or while leaving.
- Add Conservation Station only if the extra train trip fits your schedule.
My updated one-day Animal Kingdom itinerary works the major animal experiences into the rest of the park without constantly backtracking.
If you only have four or five hours, use the Animal Kingdom half-day itinerary instead and choose the specific wildlife experiences that matter most to you.
Use the Current Animal Kingdom Map to Find the Exhibits
The animal areas are spread across the park, and several of them are easy to walk past if you’re only following signs for rides.
My current Animal Kingdom map guide shows where Africa, Asia, Discovery Island, the Oasis and Conservation Station fit together, including the current Tropical Americas construction area.
You can also use Disney’s official Disney Animals directory before your visit. Disney updates that resource as animal experiences and locations change.
