Disney's Animal Kingdom® Park News from Disney's Animal Kingdom

No news, but just a question about my favorite zoo, which I feel I should know :rolleyes:. After my recent post in the general zoo discussion forum regarding new zoos and the AZA, does anyone know when DAK got their accreditation? I know it wouldn't have been in 1998 when they opened, and I tried googling it but didn't get an answer. Leading into another question, how did the park open with gorillas and other SSPs if they weren't accredited yet? I believe their first lions were from Oregon Zoo, and their first tigers were generic so they didn't have to go through an SSP or anything like that to obtain them, I'm pretty sure.
 
Davdhole said:
No news, but just a question about my favorite zoo, which I feel I should know :rolleyes:. After my recent post in the general zoo discussion forum regarding new zoos and the AZA, does anyone know when DAK got their accreditation? I know it wouldn't have been in 1998 when they opened, and I tried googling it but didn't get an answer. Leading into another question, how did the park open with gorillas and other SSPs if they weren't accredited yet? I believe their first lions were from Oregon Zoo, and their first tigers were generic so they didn't have to go through an SSP or anything like that to obtain them, I'm pretty sure.
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It's Disney. They have a proven track record, obviously have the money to build everything the animals needed, always build things to exceed standards, were already members of a bunch of major theme park, etc organizations for their other parks...
 
Davdhole said:
Leading into another question, how did the park open with gorillas and other SSPs if they weren't accredited yet? I believe their first lions were from Oregon Zoo, and their first tigers were generic so they didn't have to go through an SSP or anything like that to obtain them, I'm pretty sure.
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Because Disney had money and was building large world-class exhibits off the bat. They weren't some half-broke plywood and wire place begging for stuff, we're talking about a massive zoo being erected all at once by a multi-billion dollar company. I would guess they probably were already working with the AZA while they were planning before anything even broke ground.
 
Davdhole said:
No news, but just a question about my favorite zoo, which I feel I should know :rolleyes:. After my recent post in the general zoo discussion forum regarding new zoos and the AZA, does anyone know when DAK got their accreditation? I know it wouldn't have been in 1998 when they opened, and I tried googling it but didn't get an answer. Leading into another question, how did the park open with gorillas and other SSPs if they weren't accredited yet? I believe their first lions were from Oregon Zoo, and their first tigers were generic so they didn't have to go through an SSP or anything like that to obtain them, I'm pretty sure.
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Disney was already an AZA member through their accreditation of Discovery Island, which was a separate ticket animal park located in the middle of Bay Lake. The animal inventory was mostly birds, with a few additional species such as lemurs and a few reptiles. When Animal Kingdom was built, they transferred all of the animals from Discovery Island to Animal Kingdom park and lodge, and closed Discovery Island. More details: Discovery Island – Orlando, Florida - Atlas Obscura
 
JollyGreenGiant94 said:
Animal Kingdom opened with six male gorillas that came from various AZA facilities
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I understand now after being reminded of their now closed AZA facility Discovery Island, which between that, their money, and reputation allowed them to acquire such species for the theme park. Now one thing I could never find history on is their old tigers. This isn't regarding the AZA or anything similar this time. I've always been curious about where their generic tigers came from and where they went to make way for the Sumatran tigers. I think I saw them once years ago before they made way for the pure tigers, and I never thought to ask a cast member about them. I just love learning little things about zoo history.
 
Davdhole said:
No news, but just a question about my favorite zoo, which I feel I should know :rolleyes:. After my recent post in the general zoo discussion forum regarding new zoos and the AZA, does anyone know when DAK got their accreditation? I know it wouldn't have been in 1998 when they opened, and I tried googling it but didn't get an answer. Leading into another question, how did the park open with gorillas and other SSPs if they weren't accredited yet? I believe their first lions were from Oregon Zoo, and their first tigers were generic so they didn't have to go through an SSP or anything like that to obtain them, I'm pretty sure.
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Species Survival Plan policies weren't as restrictive then as they are now. Many SSPs had non-AZA partners in the 1990s.
 
Some news from my visit:

1. There are now Vietnam Pheasants in the Asia aviary (all hens) and Emerald Starlings in the African aviary. They came about a month ago.

2. The entrance enclosure by the oasis is going through reconstruction now and keeper said a new animal is coming, but no details to what it is. The keeper said that spoonbills were kept there before but they and whatever else was there are now off-exhibit and all signage removed. Part of the exhibit next to the muntjac still have a bunch of ducks and geese there.
 
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Smaggledagle said:
Dinoland USA has some animal exhibits that will probably be replaced?
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For three species? They're not even mentioned in the article and they'll probably just be shunted elsewhere in the park. I consider this news rather irrelevant to the general purpose of the thread.
 
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Cat-Man said:
What else is in that area of the park? I can only recall the crocodile from memory.
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American Croc, Abdim's Stork, and one of the Tortoise species (Asian Brown I believe).

Persephone said:
Curious if they move the Oceania animals to the Moana area. I think its only the giant tortoises and kangaroos / wallaby. Tortoises would fit better than kangaroos because of smaller exhibit size.
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I doubt it. The roos and Wallabies have good exhibits already, and wouldn't fit thematically with Moana- which is Polynesian in origin, not Australian. Personally, I don't get why these are the IPs they are shoehorning in to Animal Kingdom when there are a lot of better IPs that cohesively fit Animal Kingdom better. Moana doesn't really relate to animals at all, other than the presence of a chicken, a pig, and a few ocean creatures, while Zootopia breaks Joe Rohde's no pants rule. I'd much rather see a South American themed area featuring Up and Encanto as the IPs, but oh well- I don't have high faith in Disney anyways.
 
Neil chace said:
American Croc, Abdim's Stork, and one of the Tortoise species (Asian Brown I believe).


I doubt it. The roos and Wallabies have good exhibits already, and wouldn't fit thematically with Moana- which is Polynesian in origin, not Australian. Personally, I don't get why these are the IPs they are shoehorning in to Animal Kingdom when there are a lot of better IPs that cohesively fit Animal Kingdom better. Moana doesn't really relate to animals at all, other than the presence of a chicken, a pig, and a few ocean creatures, while Zootopia breaks Joe Rohde's no pants rule. I'd much rather see a South American themed area featuring Up and Encanto as the IPs, but oh well- I don't have high faith in Disney anyways.
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It's a lot better than using Avatar again for some damn reason
 
I thought I remembered something about an Indiana Jones section going in. That would have made a lot of sense and opened up quite a few specie possibilities
 
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