Maharajah Jungle Trek is a self-guided walking tour of native Asian wildlife in Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park. Adventure into the wilds of the mystical Anandapur Royal Forest of Southeast Asia, a tropical paradise full of plants and trees, rushing waterfalls and wild animals.
Maharajah Jungle Trek features beautiful murals, crumbling ruins and colorful pennants representing the cultures of northern Asia. The scents of jasmine and honeysuckle, and a fascinating assortment of unique animals, create a colorful, alluring environment.
Story
The trail is themed as if it had once been the hunting grounds for a wealthy maharajah who enclosed the forest to allow for easier hunting and then some time later died in a hunting accident. The themed storyline continues with subsequent maharajahs (including the original maharajah's bachelor brother) transforming the area into a nature preserve where the villagers live in harmony with the animals therein. These maharajahs are memorialized on the walls of the tiger enclosure. The forest was, at one point, also run by imperial British visitors, as evidenced in the Western spelling on the sign at the entrance to the Jungle Trek, which reads "Royal Anandapoor Forest". When their occupation of southern Asia ended, the British turned the forest over to the villagers of Anandapur, whom you encounter as you walk through the jungle. The trail's storyline also includes an homage to the founder of the Kingdom of Anandapur, Anantah, in the form of a tomb and sarcophagus situated at the entrance to the Jungle Trek's aviary.
Walking Tour
As you begin your journey through this magnificent area be sure to take time to look at the art and architecture surrounding you. Almost immediately upon entering the land of Anandapur, you will feel as though you have been transported half way around the world.
When you crossed the bridge into Asia, even before you actually enter the Maharajah Jungle Trek, chances are you heard the Gibbons. The Gibbons are members of the ape family, not the monkey family. They have longer arms and no tails. Amid the temples and memorial pillars of Anandapur you will find the white-cheeked gibbon Hylobates concolor and the larger siamang Hylobates syndactylus. Both live in family groups. The male gibbons are black and the females golden. The white-cheeked gibbon live in tropical forests in Vietnam with a life span of about 25 years.
The Siamang inhabit the tropical rain forests of the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. The Siamangs will likely be overhead and swinging from tower to tower. If you listen, you can hear the "hoots" that allow them to mark their territory and communicate. The Siamangs are the loudest land mammal, their vocal sac can inflate to the size of their head. They can actually get quite loud at times. Their voices can be heard up to 2 miles away.
Come around the bend into the first animal viewing area and discover the home of the Komodo Dragon Varanus komodoenis. Komodo dragons are indigenous to Indonesia and are the world's largest lizard. They seek warm areas during the morning and cooler areas during the day. The average life span is 20 years, however they can live to be 40-60 years old. Komodo Dragons are solitary animals except when breeding and eating.
Next along the path is the female Malayan Tapir Tapirus Indicus, an endangered species. Tapir skin is very tough, like a rhino, which attracts hunters. Found in the deep forests in Asia, they are shy herbivores, feeding on bark, buds and leaves. When born, the Tapir skin color is all brown and later turns into the black and white you see here. The Tapir you see here at the Animal Kingdom is 16 years old. She has very poor eyesite and relies heavily on her sense of smell. There is a small pool in the Tapir area so she can get some relief from the heat. They can grow as large as 600 pounds.
The Bat Community, home of the Rodrigues Fruit Bat Pteropus rodricensis and the Malayan Flying Fox Pteropus vampyrus is next. (There is a bypass if you wish to skip this section.) You can see the bats hanging from the vines and trees in the enclosure. They also will sometimes wrap themselves in their paper-thin wings to preserve body hear or fan themselves to stay cool.
The Rodrigues are sometimes referred to as "golden bats" because of their mantle of golden fur that covers portions of their head, neck, and shoulders and contrasts sharply with the dark brown fur over the remainder of their body. Rodigues is a small volcanic island in the Southwestern Indian Ocean.
The Malayan Flying Fox is among the largest of the bats and has a wing span of 6 feet. This largely nocturnal mammal feeds on fruit and nectar.
The most beautiful section of the Maharajah Jungle Trek is next which will bring you into the heart of India. It is called Tiger Forest. Paintings adorn the old crumbling wallsThere are several viewing areas for the Asian Tigers Panthera tigris. There are 6 Female Tigers in the Maharajah collection. Be sure to visit the Tigers in the early morning hours. They can sometimes be found stretching on a tree trunk or playing in the water. Some of the viewing areas are through glass. However, near the end of the tiger section is a bridge upon which you can get a good view of the Tigers and their Pond.
Looking left while on the bridge, you will see a field with Elds Deer and Blackbuck. The Elds Deer Cervus eldi come from Burma and eastern India. The Elds Deer are an endangered species. The Blackbuck Antilope cervicapra are one of the fastest antelopes in the world. They can travel up to 50 miles per hour. The Blackbucks have the cork screw twisted horns.
Co-existing with the Elds Deer and Blackbuck are several species of birds. The Sarus Crane will get your attention quickly as they are the world's tallest flying bird. Males can grow to six feet tall with a ten feet wing span. Also in this area are barheaded geese and white wing wood duck, both native to South East Asia. A beautiful peaceful bird sanctuary completes the Maharajah Jungle Trek. (Be sure to pick up a colorful bird identification chart.) Paintings on the walls and running water from the fountains provide a quiet serene atmosphere. In the pond, you might find Masked Plovers and Indian Pygmy Geese. The male Argus Pheasant can often be found strutting along the ground. Up in the trees you might find the King Parrots. There is generally a guide in this area, often with binoculars, who can answer questions and point out the birds. As you exit the bird area, the sounds in the distance of the Kali River Rapids ride remind you where you are and what lies ahead during your day at Disney's Animal Kingdom.
Touring Tips
- One of the highlights of this tour is the Asian tigers. There are 3 separate viewing areas where you can watch these majestic animals play, sometimes frolicking in the water with a large ball.
- A Komodo Dragon, the world's largest lizard, resides near a waterfall at the beginning of the Maharajah Jungle Trek. Continue on to the Bat Cliffs and observe the Rodrigues Fruit and Malayan Flying Fox bat species.
- Get your FASTPASS for Kali River Rapids and then stroll through the Maharajah Jungle Trek.
- The nice thing about the Maharajah Jungle Trek is that you go at your own pace, and spend as little or as much time as you wanted to see and photograph the animals.
- Be sure to ask the Guides any questions you might have about the animals you encounter during your trek. Many of the Guides are native to Asia.
- There are plenty of viewing areas for kids and lots of educational opportunities too.
Facts
- Nepal, India, Thailand and Indonesia are represented through the architecture, animal carvings and ruins scattered throughout the trail.
- It shares this area with the Kali River Rapids white water raft ride and the Expedition Everest runaway train rollercoaster.
- You will find the Gibbons on the Nepalese-styled monument tower and at the ruins of a Thai designed temple.