LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (WFLA) – Rhinos at Walt Disney World Resort’s Animal Kingdom are sporting a new look… they’re decked out with fitness trackers!
Disney is participating with other accredited facilities around the United States to help better understand activity levels of rhinos, according to the Disney Parks Blog.
The trackers are very similar to those worn by humans used to track steps and activity.
The trackers help animal care staff understand activity during the day and when the rhinos are settled for the evening.
“Because of the built-in accelerometer, we can track the distance they cover running and walking around the savanna. We also can better track their sleeping and napping schedules,” the blog post said.
The trackers also use a GPS unit, allowing staff to see where on the Kilimanjaro Safaris savanna the rhinos are spending the most time, allowing Disney to better understand which features of the habitat are the most popular.
Once the study from the accredited facilities is complete, the research will be shared with all animal care professionals at all 74 Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited facilities.
