Kilimanjaro Safaris

**Kilimanjaro Safaris** is an attraction in *Disney's Animal Kingdom*.

## History

### Backstory

Kilimanjaro Safaris takes guests on a jeep safari ride with the Kilimanjaro Safari Company through the Harambe Wildlife Reserve in the East African port of Harambe.

### Development history

The original incarnation of Kilimanjaro Safaris featured a narrative which highlighted the horrors of poaching. In this version of the attraction, guests were introduced to Warden Wilson Matua in the queue where he explained how important wildlife reserves are and where the elephants Big Red and her baby Little Red were promoted. On the ride, guests would then come across the corpse of Big Red when she was killed by poachers for her tusks and the safari guides would proceed to hunt down the poachers, eventually rescuing Little Red. Due to parent complaints this was toned down over the years with the only featured of the narrative in present day being allusions to the elephants in the queue and the rickety bridge on the ride.

## Summary

Guests go through many ecosystems and can come across a large number of real, live animals before returning to civilization.

## Connections

### Adventure Trading Company

The Daily Gnus has an article titled, "ADVENTURE TRADING COMPANY ARRIVES IN ADVENTURELAND" mentions Harambe alongside Mystic Point and the Lost River Delta as having been host to the Adventure Trading Company.

### Disney Springs

A gate-board in the marketplace of Disney Springs mentions an airline departure to Harambe leaving on time.

### Jungle Cruise

The idea for a Disney attraction taking guests through a faux wilderness to see live exotic animals was recycled from Walt Disney's original plans for the Jungle Cruise. Likely due to this it has been referenced in certain Jungle Cruise and Jungle Cruise adjacent materials.

#### Skipper Canteen

A book in the *Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen* is titled as *The Harambe Chronicles* by Wilson. The name Wilson references the warden Wilson Matua of the reserve who appeared in the ride's pre-show up until 2020 when the pre-show was replaced. The book was however not actually written by Mutua given the 1930s setting of the Skipper Canteen, late 20th-21st century setting of Kilimanjaro Safaris, and Wilson having been Mutua's first-name rather than surname.

#### Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar

On the walls of this bar is a photograph of a Safari including Trader Sam departing from Harambe with an elephant for transportation. Additionally when closely observed, the elephant's howdah is the logo for the Kilimanjaro Safaris company on it.

### Up

Harambe holds outposts for the *Wilderness Explorers* scouting organization from this film of which its reserves hold ideals of ecological conservation with. Notably is the Wilderness Explorers' Safari Badge which has guests taking a safari from Kilimanjaro Safaris and writing the name of the jeep SIMBA-1. It also mentions Harambe Wildlife Reserve by name and has participants document the animals which they observed.

## Trivia

* Mount Kilimanjaro which serves as the safari co.'s logo is featured in several Soarin' attractions.

## References

1. ↑ http://www.mainstgazette.com/2017/10/gate-change.html
2. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/BZcEgKllDSx/