BAY LAKE, Fla. — You might think the only way to see elephants at Animal Kingdom is by riding on the park's Kilimanjaro Safaris attraction, but it’s not.
People can sign up online for their Caring for Giants ($39 per person, plus tax) experience that allows them to go behind the scenes to watch and learn about elephants. It lasts for 60 minutes and is separate from a normal park entrance fee.
Corra, a 2-month-old African elephant born at the park and the first second-generation elephant in Animal Kingdom history, is now in a part of the park where people can see her.
Animal Care Manager Elizabeth Warncke was on hand a few weeks ago as experts released Corra into the more public area of the park.
“It’s a very new area for her. So, you saw her exploring her habitat, and it was great to watch,” Warncke said.
During the Caring for Giants experience, visitors can take time to watch, photograph, study and learn their behaviors, much like the park’s animal experts.
“So, with elephant Nadirah, (mother to Corra) we were monitoring her reproductive levels from the day she conceived all the way to the day she gave birth. It was over a 639-day gestation,” said endocrinologist Samantha Shablin.
Shablin has been monitoring mother Nadirah since her pregnancy began two years ago.
“I think my favorite part about this job, specifically, (is) to be one of the first people to know when an animal is pregnant,” Shablin said.
Shablin does her work at Rafiki's Planet Watch and Conservation Station, another location within Animal Kingdom.
The station (separate from Caring for Giants) is where people can observe veterinarians providing animal care through a glass window.
“They are able to get up close and personal with the animals and learn from a very experienced member from one of our teams and learn about their day-to-day lives,” Shablin said.