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A Rocky Start for a New Zoo

None of the visitors to Walt Disney World's brand-new Animal Kingdom will ever see what goes on there at 3 o'clock in the morning. Long after the rest of central Florida has gone to sleep, workers arrive at the park's man-made savannah. Their mission: to herd the beasts and take them to shelters.

Waiting teams of veterinarians get right to work. One by one, the animals pass by for gentle inspections. A giraffe has to be dewormed. A rhinoceros needs a vaccine. At 5 a.m., when the vets are done, the animals are shooed back to the park, ready for the next wave of visitors.

The 1,000 animals that live in the park are examined in ways they never could be in the wilderness. By studying these animals, scientists hope they can learn how to help animals in the wild.

Not everyone is thrilled with Disney's latest adventure. Last week, just days before the park's official opening, animal-rights activists were questioning whether an entertainment company like Disney has any business fooling around with live animals. Since September, 12 animals have died at the $800 million, 500-acre park. In December four cheetahs died of kidney failure, and tour buses recently ran over two African cranes.

Last week the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which can take away the park's license, announced that it is investigating Disney World.

Parks Or Research Centers?
Animal Kingdom is the latest example of a new breed of superzoo. These fancy zoos are not only tourist sites but research centers too.

After the Endangered Species Act was passed in 1973, many zoos announced that their purpose was no longer to capture wild animals but to rescue them. Since then, zoos have helped save several endangered species, including the California condor, the American bison and the golden lion tamarin, a rare Amazon monkey.

But critics charge that zoos are amusement parks and do little real science. "When it comes to animals," says Joe Taksel of Florida's Animal Rights Foundation, "Disney should stick to Mickey Mouse."

Disney disagrees: the company says that it has hired the top zoo experts in the country and that every zoo population suffers some sad losses. "We know that our animals live in a superior habitat and are cared for by a highly qualified team of experts," says Disney spokesman Bill Warren. Animal Kingdom is scheduled to open on Earth Day, April 22.

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