Disney World's Gorillas Go Viral After a Snake Enters Their Enclosure

At the Walt Disney World Resort, animals are a big part of the experience–but not all encounters are planned.

Alligator Spotted at Disney World

This past week, a video went viral on social media showing an alligator at the Wilderness Lodge accommodation on Disney World property. The gator was spotted in a fenced-off pond at the resort hotel and was later captured by specialists and transported to sanctuary facilities.

Alligators are common in Florida, and Disney tries its best to ensure guests either never see one or signpost areas in places where they could be, such as bodies of water. At all water points, Disney signposts that alligators and snakes could be in the area and that guests should not enter. While more guests see snakes than alligators out and about at Disney World, years ago, a viral encounter between a snake and the Animal Kingdom gorillas went viral.

Gorilla V. Snake at Disney World

When a guest visits the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, there are a plethora of things to do. Whether it’s a trip to Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or the World Showcase in EPCOT, the Disney resort can pretty much cater to any interest. And that’s not to mention the retail extravaganza at Disney Springs.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom not only delivers enchanting experiences like Avatar Flight of Passage in Pandora, Festival of the Lion King, and the quaint Discovery Island, but it also brings guests up close and personal with a wide range of wildlife. Guests visiting this Disney park in 2021 got more than they bargained for while strolling the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail.

Nestled away in Africa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail offers guests a chance to “salute [their] resident troop of gorillas”. Committed to conservation practices, guests visiting Disney’s gorilla experience can learn more about the world’s biggest primates in a life-like “natural” habitat.

To continue guests’ conservation education, Animal Kingdom visitors can take a trip to the Conservation Station at Rafiki’s Planet Watch to get an in-depth look at Disney’s animal care.

Guests certainly got to see a lot of action from the gorillas of Animal Kingdom as the group discovered something else had managed to get into their enclosure–and no, not a cast member. A snake had somehow gotten lost in their home, and the gorillas were curious to discover why this stowaway was in their habitat.

In a since-deleted viral TikTok from Bearded Kraken (@silkystrokesurvivor), the moment with the exotic animals was captured in a two-part special—did someone say Godzilla vs. Kong?

The footage—which, at the time, had been viewed almost five million times—showed a young gorilla idly sitting at the glass window when something caught its eye. It circled slowly, not quite sure what was hiding in the straw at the corner of its home. Soon after, another gorilla approached to join the search, and that’s when chaos erupted.

Guests could be heard shouting, “There’s a snake!” while the action unfolded. The small reptile was too quick for the gorillas, but that didn’t stop the whole troop—including what looked like the silverback—from crowding around the snake. In the video, a cast member said, “Just like humans, our gorillas are very curious about what goes on in their habitat.”

The cast member’s quick explanation at the gorilla attraction shows how Disney constantly provides the guests with the best educational experience, no matter how surprising the events are. A second video was posted shortly after, showing the gorillas getting even closer to the reptile.

The best thing about Disney’s Animal Kingdom is that you never truly know what is going to happen while visiting the animal attractions at the Florida theme park–like how these otters decided to play with a Lightning McQueen toy! And if you truly want that authentic wildlife experience, one of Disney’s top attractions is Kilimanjaro Safaris, which offers a “truly wild adventure” over the African savannah.

What’s New at Animal Kingdom?

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is under immense renovation. In early 2025, Disney Experiences began its development of the Tropical Americas by shutting down multiple locations in the DinoLand U.S.A. area. Eventually, the new destination will be known as the Pueblo Esperanza and will feature attractions themed to the Encanto and Indiana Jones franchises.

The land is set to open in 2027.

Have you ever witnessed any strange animal encounters? Let us know in the comments!