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The Disney Parks have been in the spooky spirit since September, and now even the animals at Disney’s Animal Kingdom are getting festive.
This week, Cast Members delivered 200 carved pumpkins to animals throughout Disney Parks to celebrate National Pumpkin Day! Thursday, October 26, 2023, was National Pumpkin Day, and to celebrate, the “chefs” at Walt Disney World Resort’s Animal Nutrition Center carved a giant snack for the giant Galapagos tortoises at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The “monsters,” tortoises named Phantom, Dracula, Mummy, Frankenstein, Wolfman, and Creature, devoured the delicious and nutritious pumpkins. The tortoises are typically herbivores, eating various plants and fruits, so they are big pumpkin fans during the fall season!
Disney’s Animal Nutrition Center
Credit: Disney
It’s not just National Pumpkin Day that the Animal Nutrition Center is stepping up for. Disney Cast Members prepare custom diets for over 5,000 animals across the Walt Disney World Resort. In just one day, the Cast Members at the Animal Nutrition Center will prepare and handle more than 10,000 pounds of food, prioritizing the diets and well-being of all Disney animals.
Pumpkins are a great choice when it comes to keeping the animals happy and healthy. The Animal Nutrition Center serves the fall treat to tons of different species across the resort for its nutritional benefits. The pumpkins are filled with vitamins and minerals, including beta-carotene, potassium, and vitamin C.
Related: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Receives Not One, But EIGHT New Additions
National Pumpkin Day
Credit: Disney
The giant Galapagos tortoises aren’t the only animals getting in on the fun of National Pumpkin Day. Cast Members carved and delivered over 200 pumpkins to animals across the Walt Disney World Resort!
While some animals, like the giant Galapagos tortoises, will enjoy the pumpkins as a nice Halloween treat, others will receive pumpkins from Cast Members as part of their enrichment activities. Some animals enjoy smashing and playing with the pumpkins, while others don’t mind them adding festive flare to their habitats.
These pumpkins are being delivered to animals all around the Walt Disney World Resort, not just Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Look for animals getting into the Halloween spirit at The Seas with Nemo & Friends, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground.
Disney’s Conservation Fund
Credit: Disney
The Walt Disney Company has made a commitment to the health and wellness of the environment both inside and outside of the Disney Parks. “The Disney Conservation Fund is focused on saving wildlife for future generations through grants to leading conservation organizations working together to stabilize and increase the populations of at-risk animals.”
While you’re exploring Disney’s Animal Kingdom, you can give back to Disney’s Conservation Fund. Opportunities to donate to the fund are available while shopping or dining in the park. Some locations, like Creature Comforts, even donate a portion of profits from select menu items to support animals like the Cotton-Top Tamarins.
