I just realized something…It’s been way too long since I showed some love for the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail in Disney’s Animal Kingdom!  There’s never been a better time to visit this amazing area of the park.  Let me tell you why.

Animal Kingdom’s Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail – Add it to Your Plans!

Since Kilimanjaro Safaris is an absolute must on any visit to Animal Kingdom, think of Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail as an extension of the Safari, but on foot.  It’s super convenient as you’ll find the trail’s entrance close to the Safari’s exit.  While the trail’s many animals might not be viewable at all times, on our most recent visit (January, 2018), we saw some very entertaining sights!

First we stopped for a minute to check on the Colobus Monkeys.  They were relaxing where we had a great view of their awesome hair and curious faces.

Then there was an Okapi who was much closer than the one(s) seen on safari.  She looked so sweet with her beautiful shiny coat, big eyes, and huge ears!  Something about those ears above that cute face make this one of my favorite animals to see.  I was thrilled she was walking around a good bit, but stayed in front of us for quite a while.

Moving on, we went into the research center for a quick peek at the Naked (or, as I say, nekkid) Mole Rats (totally disgusting in the coolest of ways).  We also saw some cuddly looking mice and a few other small animals and insects before we headed out to the aviary.

Not long ago I talked about how, if you give it a few minutes, the aviary is way more interesting than it first appears.  We took a few minutes to watch a pair of Pygmy Geese having a great time in a small pool.  Those Taveta Golden Weavers never disappoint and I watched one, in the early stages of making a new nest, carefully weave in a long piece of grass.  Fascinating!

Next we saw a giant napping hippo in the hippo pool’s underwater viewing window and we watched some Meerkats doing an awful lot of serious zebra-watching.  Those guys are as keyed up as the hippo is relaxed and all if it is so interesting!  But nothing is as great to see right now as what we enjoyed the most…

Gorillas!  Right now, there are two 3-year-old males and their 7-year-old sister/half-sister who completely steal the show!  In the gorilla family area, we watched the little ones wrestling and playing as hard as they could go while Dad kept a watchful eye on the action.  The moms and sister were completely uninterested in getting involved.  In the case of big sister, this seemed to be a huge disappointment to the boys who kept trying to entice her to join the fun.

I could have watched all day.  Those two little ones were absolutely hilarious!  They threw hay on each other, they chased, grappled, fought, and even bit each other!  They seemed tireless and this went on so long, I though surely they must be exhausted.  They made all of us laugh hysterically and I cannot describe here the silliness that ensued when one of them suddenly…well…uhm, pooped in the middle of a wrestling match, much to the surprised fascination of them both.

If you haven’t had the chance to explore the Gorilla Falls trail, I highly recommend you add it to your next visit to Animal Kingdom – you never know just what you’ll find and that makes it all the more exciting!

What’s your favorite part of the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail?  What’s the best thing you’ve seen there?