Disney gives $100,000 to gorilla groups in honor of Bakari

The donation marks World Gorilla Day on Sept. 24 and welcomes Bakari, the 21-year-old silverback who took over Animal Kingdom’s gorilla family this summer. It lands almost a year after the death of Gino, who led the troop for nearly 30 years.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom has a new silverback, and Disney is marking the occasion with a check.

The Walt Disney Company is giving $100,000 to three gorilla conservation groups to honor Bakari, the 21-year-old western lowland gorilla who now leads the park’s gorilla family. The timing lines up with World Gorilla Day on Thursday, Sept. 24.

Bakari came to Walt Disney World from the Saint Louis Zoo and made his debut in the gorilla habitat at the end of June.

Where is Disney’s $100,000 gorilla donation going?

The money is split among three groups that work with gorillas in Africa, according to WDW News Today:

• GRACE (Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Center), which cares for rescued Grauer’s gorillas in the Democratic Republic of Congo

• Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, named for the famous researcher and focused on protecting wild gorillas

• Gorilla Doctors, a team of veterinarians that treats wild mountain and Grauer’s gorillas

Disney hasn’t said how the $100,000 is divided between them.

Disney has funded wildlife work like this for decades through the Disney Conservation Fund, so a gift tied to one of its own animals fits a long habit.

Who is Bakari the gorilla at Animal Kingdom?

He’s the new boss on the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail.

Bakari is 21 years old and came from a bachelor group, which is a troop made up of males only. Moving a silverback like him to lead a family is part of the Species Survival Plan, a program run by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to keep gorilla populations healthy and genetically diverse.

Disney says he’s calm and easygoing. On the Disney Parks Blog, the team described him as a gorilla who likes to watch quietly and lounge with his chin resting on his hand. Which, fair. Same.

Rachel, an animal care manager with Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment team, said Bakari “is the future of this family troop.”

Disney’s animal care team gave him his first wellness exam at the park this month, and Disney shared that he came out of it happy and healthy.

What happened to Gino the gorilla?

Gino died on Sept. 17, 2025, at 44. He was the park’s oldest gorilla.

He’d been there since Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened on April 22, 1998, and led the troop for almost 30 years. He fathered 14 offspring, and two of his daughters, Grace and Ada, still live in the Animal Kingdom troop.

Rachel called Bakari’s arrival “bittersweet” because it meant saying goodbye to Gino.

So the donation lands about a year and a week after Gino died. That’s a nice way for the park to close that chapter and open the next one.

When is World Gorilla Day 2026?

World Gorilla Day is Thursday, Sept. 24. It started in 2017 on the anniversary of the Karisoke Research Center, the camp Dian Fossey set up in Rwanda in 1967 to study mountain gorillas. The day is used to raise money and awareness for all gorilla species.

Western lowland gorillas like Bakari are listed as critically endangered, mostly because of habitat loss, poaching and disease.

Can you see Bakari at Disney’s Animal Kingdom?

Yes. He’s on the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail, the walking path in the Africa section of the park, near Kilimanjaro Safaris.

A few tips if you want a good look:

• Go early or late in the day, when gorillas tend to be more active

• Hit the trail after your safari, since the entrance sits right by the Kilimanjaro Safaris exit

• Be patient. Silverbacks do a lot of sitting, and Bakari’s reputation says he’s great at it

He’s still settling in with the family, so what you see might change visit to visit. That’s kind of the fun of it. Nobody writes a schedule for a gorilla.

Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.

Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Hat Tips:

• WDW News Today (Sept. 21, 2026), the $100,000 donation, the three recipient groups and the Rachel quote about Bakari’s future

• Disney Parks Blog (July 30, 2026), Bakari’s background, personality, the Species Survival Plan and the “bittersweet” quote

• FOX 35 Orlando (July 7, 2026), Bakari’s arrival from the Saint Louis Zoo

• MickeyBlog (Sept. 16, 2026), Bakari’s first wellness exam

• WDW News Today (Sept. 2025), Gino’s death, age, offspring and daughters

AI Disclosure: All articles are assigned, edited and reviewed by an experienced human editor before posting. Like most modern newsrooms, WebReef Media uses a variety of AI tools to help with accuracy and efficiency. Ways AI may be used in article creation include research, grammar, fact-checking and ideation, as well as occasional AI generated or enhanced thumbnails or graphics. No articles are generated or posted without human oversight or involvement.