They are the envy of many, living in places people can only dream about.  Some have been invited; special homes built for them and the milestones of their lives celebrated.  Others have moved in of their own accord, choosing their neighborhoods with care; wanting to be close to amenities – water views, restaurants, recreation.

They are the animal residents of Walt Disney World, living throughout the parks and resorts, finding homes at the lake’s edge, on the savannah, in a tree, a barn, an aquarium.

They have learned to enjoy the surroundings and take advantage of the bounty.  On a cool December day, a mother duck strides out purposefully at dawn, a procession of tiny yellow ducklings behind as she heads for the heated waters of the pool at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.  A zebra listens for the special sound that signals his time to return to the barn for dinner.  It hasn’t taken long for the giraffe to figure out she’ll be first in line for the juicy browse if she follows the truck that moves through her back yard several times each day.  The seagull has developed a taste for French fries and positions himself alertly outside Casey’s in the Magic Kingdom.

Injured manatees have found a safe haven; clever birds an appreciative audience.  Bunnies inhabit lushly wooded acres; tiny lizards bask in the Florida sun; horses work and play; each creature a citizen of the World.

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