Disney’s Animal Kingdom is such a unique park in that it’s not just a theme park with rides, but also an expansive sort of zoo that has all kinds of animals you can see and learn more about. And, really, it’s the animals that keep us coming back to visit the park because they’re just so cool to see, and you never know what they’ll do next.

Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail

Seriously, Disney’s Animal Kingdom is an animal lover’s dream! Well, if you happen to visit Animal Kingdom’s Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail in the future, you might notice that there’s been a new addition: a gorilla named Bakari! So let’s learn more about him!

Bakari is a 21-year-old silverback western lowland gorilla who now calls Animal Kingdom his home. His moving in, though, is a little bittersweet. For nearly 30 years, the gorillas in Animal Kingdom were led by Gino, but Gino passed away last year and left the troop without a leader. Bakari has now moved in and is settling into his role as the gorillas’ new leader. According to Rachel, one of Disney’s animal care managers, “Bakari is the future of this family troop, and we’re looking forward to watching him grow into that role and hopefully help welcome new generations of gorillas for years to come.”

©Disney

Of course, you can’t just quickly move a gorilla into an already settled group, so Disney’s animal care experts are working through a very carefully planned intro process to give everyone a chance to adjust, including Bakari. Bakari spent his previous time socializing with other males, but it’s in a gorilla male’s nature to eventually join a family troop like the one in Animal Kingdom. But it does take some time for everyone to learn to live together peacefully.

©Disney

So what are the kinds of things that Bakari likes to do? Well, his caretakers see him as calm and easygoing, and a gorilla who is just taking a lot of quiet time to observe his surroundings. He also “loves to stretch out and lounge with his chin resting on his hand while taking in all the activity around him.” You can get a good look at Bakari yourself now that he’s been added to Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail and see him settling into his new home and interacting with other members of the current troop.

©Disney

Welcome to Animal Kingdom, Bakari! May you have a long and beautiful future here!

We’ll keep an eye out for more Disney World news, so stay tuned to DFB for more.

4 Changes Coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Next Month

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What do you think about Bakari so far? Let us know in the comments!