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Animal Dies at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Following Unexpected Incident

People stroll through a vibrant section of Animal Kingdom, featuring a spaceship-themed ride on the left and dinosaur decorations holding a "Dino-Rama!" sign on the right. In the background, trees frame the scene against a clear sky.
Credit: ITM

An unexpected and tragic moment reportedly occurred at The Boneyard Fossil Fun Site in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park, where an unfortunate squirrel was caught in the attraction’s industrial fans. A guest shared details of the incident online, praising the quick response from Disney cast members in handling the situation discreetly to prevent distress among young parkgoers.

Related: Guest Sneaks Dog Onto Disney’s Space Mountain Roller Coaster

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Credit: Disney

A Startling Scene at The Boneyard

According to a firsthand account, the guest witnessed the squirrel’s unfortunate demise at the popular dinosaur-themed play area, which features digging zones, climbing structures, and cooling fans to keep guests comfortable. The report describes how the squirrel tragically collided with the fans, an incident that could have been distressing for children present at the site.

However, Disney cast members acted swiftly, immediately shutting down the fans and calling for assistance to ensure the area was safe and that the situation was handled as discreetly as possible.

“Just watched a squirrel get taken out by the fans at the dino dig site. Fortunately, none of the kids saw or noticed. Cast member was quick to shut down the fans and call it in. Sad for the squirrel but kudos to them for handling it quick.” 

Dino dig tragedy (squirrel)
byu/bjchu92 inWaltDisneyWorld

Disney’s Quick Response Praised

While the incident itself was unfortunate, guests commended the professionalism of Disney’s cast members, who ensured that young visitors at the play area remained unaware of what had transpired. Animal encounters are common at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, given the park’s lush environments and focus on conservation, though moments like this are rare.

Disney is well-known for its commitment to guest experience and safety, and the immediate response from staff helped prevent an upsetting situation for families enjoying The Boneyard.

boneyard-animal-kingdom

Credit: Disney

Animal Kingdom is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including native Florida squirrels, birds, and other small creatures that often roam freely throughout the park. While Disney implements careful animal protection and park safety protocols, unexpected encounters like this serve as reminders of the delicate balance between theme park entertainment and the natural world.

For now, this incident remains a somber but isolated event, one that was handled professionally and efficiently by Disney’s dedicated team. While the loss of an animal is always unfortunate, the priority remained ensuring that families and children visiting The Boneyard had a seamless and enjoyable experience at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

About Eva Merrill

Eva was born and raised in the beautiful state of Oregon but has since relocated and lives in New York City. Since she was young, Eva has loved to perform in musicals, especially Disney ones! Through performing, Disney’s music became the soundtrack of her childhood. Today, Eva loves to write about all the exciting happenings for the Walt Disney Company. In her free time, Eva loves to travel, spend time in nature, and go to Broadway shows. Her favorite Disney movie is 'Lilo and Stitch,' and her favorite Park is Disney's Animal Kingdom.

One comment

  1. Why aren’t their cages or mesh surrounding those fans to prevent critters or birds from this demise? 😢. Frankly, I’m surprised there aren’t any already…

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