Last week I shared with you my enjoyment of the Maharajah Jungle Trek at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, today we visit another walking trail, the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail. This trail is located in the Africa section of the park next to Kilimanjaro Safari.
The Pangani Forest Expedition Trail is another escape from the hubbub of your theme park day. The lush forest canopy also shields you from the sun’s beating rays on a hot Florida day. Wildreness Explorers can earn 4 badges on this trail-The Hiking, Birding, Tracking and Gorilla Badges are all earned here.
The first animal we come upon along the trail are black and white Colobus Monkeys. These monkeys live high in the trees in Kenya and unlike other monkeys, the Colobus monkeys have no thumbs. Next we reach the Okapi Forest Research Blind. The Okapi, the only known living relative of the giraffe and the Yellow-backed Duiker, a member of the antelope family can be found here.
Our journey continues to the Gorilla Valley Research Center which is home to Naked Mole Rats and other small creatures. Now we enter the aviary where you can see many types of African birds high in the air and down on the ground. Make sure you grab a bird spotting guide as you enter and see how many you can identify. Wildreness Explorers-make sure you earn your “Birding Badge” while you visit the aviary.
Our next stop brings us to the hippo pool. Hippos live in the rivers of Africa but here on the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail we don’t get the normal view of the hippos, we get an underwater view! I enjoy hanging out and watching these huge creatures.
At the Savannah Overlook we get to see Meerkats pooping up from their burrows. This is also where Wildreness Explorers can earn their “Tracking Badge”. Next we reach the Gorilla Outpost where we can see the Western Lowland Gorillas through the glass and earn our Gorilla Badge. The rest of the path winds us through the gorilla sanctuary and over a suspension bridge before we head back into the Harambe Village.
Have you enjoyed the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail with your family? My kids always enjoyed seeing the animals along the trail and the addition of the Wilderness Explorers program it makes this area even more inviting.
This had to be an adventure. I love the picture of the hippo. I’d love to see one of those up close and personal.
Pangani Forest sounds like a great way to explore, different from the norm.
Thanks for sharing this information!!