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Credit: Steven Miller, FlickrThe beauty of Disney’s Animal Kingdom is that, unlike a traditional theme park, it is constantly changing. This allows guests to experience something different every time they enter the park.
No ride better exemplifies that state of the unknown better than Kilimanjaro Safaris. When guests enter that safari vehicle, they never know what animals will appear or what they will do. You could be in store for the animal encounter of a lifetime or find the lions sleeping on Pride Rock, again.
The same can be said for dozens of other areas throughout the park. The distinct animal encounters that Animal Kingdom offers allow guests to have a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and then return the next day to have an even better one.
With so many animal encounters, guests often overlook one of the places that could offer a unique experience, or perhaps, given its location, guests simply don’t even realize it’s there. Located in Rafiki’s Planet Watch, the Conservation Station recently gave guests an experience they would never forget.
Conservation Station offers guests the opportunity to draw Disney characters, a petting zoo, and educational programs on conservation, but the most exciting part is the veterinary center. With thousands of animals on property, Disney has to care for all of them, and this allows guests to watch while some of the animals undergo procedures.
This past week, some lucky guests at Animal Kingdom got to observe a team of veterinarians and their assistants working on one of Animal Kingdom’s lions. To be clear, the lion was knocked out, but guests were still within feet of the animal behind the plexiglass.
It is unclear from the video what procedure the vets were performing on the lion, but they were examining one of its paws and looking into its mouth. Even if it were just routine care, it’s amazing to see the animal up close and watch Disney’s specialists work.
While Animal Kingdom is undergoing its massive transformation, guests might be inclined to skip the park and wait for the new Tropical Americas Land to open, but if this video taught us anything, it’s that you never know what you’re going to encounter at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. And isn’t that the true fun of that park?
What’s the best thing you’ve seen at Disney’s Animal Kingdom? Let us know in the comments.