Dr Mark Penning has one of the most magical veterinarian jobs in the world. He is the Vice President of Animals, Science and Environment for Disney Parks, Experiences and Products and oversees animal care and environmental initiatives for their sites around the globe.
For his latest project, Dr Penning and his team of zookeepers at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Floria, have taken part in a documentary for Disney+ called Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
The eight-episode series is produced by National Geographic and is narrated by Josh Gad, giving viewers a backstage pass into the magical world of nature within the theme park.
For the VP, the “cute animals” are not the only drawcard for the viewers, but it gives a rare glimpse and “backstage pass to Disney” which is a very “big thing”.
“You know, anyone that visits Walt Disney World and our amazing parks will know that everything that surrounds you is this incredibly immersive experience. We talk about it being “on stage”, and so to get you “backstage” and see how the magic happens behind the scenes is extremely rare,” Dr Penning said in an interview with TheLatch—.
Allowing people to see the care that goes into the animals is vital to the parks remaining open and Dr Penning wants people to be able to see “the incredible relationships that develop between these animals and the amazing people that take care of them”.
“I also want the viewers to recognise how passionate each of those people is about protecting those species in the wild, that is why they do what they do.”
Dr Penning is on the Board of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and says it is important to ensure the animals “thrive”.
“We want them to breed as is appropriate because we don’t want to take animals out of the wild. We want to have a self-sustaining population in our zoos and aquariums.”
These parks are vital for the conservation of animals for future generations.
“If we don’t protect them today, they’re going to be lost for future generations to see and I think that’s part of what we want a guest to see with the new television series is that there are so many passionate individuals that want to save wild places,” he said, before adding: “Certainly, people have just given up hope because things are pretty dire out there.”
Dr Penning believes that the global coronavirus pandemic is the “perfect example”.
“That’s what happens when you don’t take really good care of wildlife and so it’s a very harsh lesson for us,” he said.
Here, he talks to TheLatch— about how the animals have coped without visitors to the park, how important it is for animals to be cared for and how Imagineering, animal care and conservation all play a multifaceted part in creating the most magical zoo in the world.
Anita Anabel: Disney+’s Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a backstage pass to the parks. Why do you think viewers around the world will love this new series?
Dr Mark Penning: I think the primary reason is who doesn’t love cute animals and that’s obviously something you want to see. The second piece is that it’s a backstage pass to Disney. Now that is a big thing.
You know, anyone that visits Walt Disney World and our amazing parks will know that everything that surrounds you is this incredibly immersive experience. We talk about it being “on stage”, and so to get you “backstage” and see how the magic happens behind the scenes is extremely rare.
This was a big leap out of our comfort zone, to be honest, and I’m really pleased with the way it turned out.
AA: You’re probably not used to being in front of the camera and either are the keepers. How did everybody adjust to having their world put on a show like that?
MP: It was definitely an adjustment. It’s very astute of you to pick that up.
What we found was that the secret was to let the animals do what they do and just get out there and film them, and when they do something, asking the keeper or the veterinarian or the aquarist what just happened there and let them talk about these animals that they love. Everybody could get comfortable in front of the camera when you’re talking about one thing you really love and what they really love doing.
AA: Why do you think it’s vital that viewers get information on animal care within these parks?
MP: Well, what I’d love people to recognise is the incredible relationships that develop between these animals and the amazing people that take care of them because those relationships are very compelling. I also want the viewers to recognise how passionate each of those people is about protecting those species in the wild, that is why they do what they do. And you know, we want to help folks recognize how special these animals are. When you see how that animal responds to those people, I’m sure people are going to be absolutely fascinated by it.
AA: There was an interesting quote in the trailer. “People get to see an hours old gorilla, that’s what is going to help these animals in the wild”. Can you tell me a bit more about this? And what does this say to those who say animals shouldn’t be kept in captivity?
MP: I think I would be delighted if all gorillas were out in the wild where they really could be doing fabulously well with no poaching, no land encroachments, no pollution and no crazy stuff that’s going on in each of those forests. My firm belief is that when guests come to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and they see that tiny little gorilla that’s just been born, or they’ve seen her several months later playing as she normally would in a family of gorillas in that beautiful habitat that’s like her native Congo, when they learn about her story and how we helped her with some developmental challenges that she has.
Then the fact that it links to the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Centre in the Congo — which is a rehabilitation facility that our team built with their own hands — and supported and taught the local people in that area to take full ownership of these orphaned gorillas. Their families have been shot by poachers and we took these orphan gorillas, put them together and built a great facility and we got a community to stand up and say “we will care for the animal”.
Right now, those animals are being prepared for relief to go back into the wild. That is how we want people to make the journey from a beautiful gorilla through to the gorillas in the Congo, and everything in between.
AA: Imagineering, animal care and conservation play a part in the parks as well. How do all the multifaceted aspects come together in the parks?
MP: I think it comes down to most importantly looking at how can we tell stories that already are told in Africa, but how can we do that here?
We use this incredible team of Walt Disney Imagineers we have such a vision and creative storytelling ability to take these animals and see how we can put them into the story. And then, of course, it’s a matter of making sure that these animals have got everything that they need to thrive out there because that’s what we want them to do. We have a very successful combination of people who’ve managed to achieve that.
You’ll notice, in the series, we include aquatic animals and we have a theme of ‘Nemo and Friends’ just down the road at EPCOT [a newly-designed theme park. A keeper may have a relationship with a giraffe but when we see an aquarist have just the same kind of relationship with a stingray or a shark, it kind of makes people stop and think for a second and say, “Oh my goodness, I really didn’t expect that.”
AA: You are on the Board of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, why is it important that we continue to have animals in these enclosures?
MP: The association you are referring to is called the AZA and there is an equivalent association in Australian — a very good one that we work with a lot.
First and foremost, we want to have our animals thrive. We want them to breed as is appropriate because we don’t want to take animals out of the wild. We want to have a self-sustaining population in our zoos and aquariums.
Unless the conservation authorities request that, for whatever reason, something is critically endangered or confiscated, or whatever the case may be, then we would obviously help. But then we have these beautiful animals and this amazing tapestry to tell stories that make people care.
When you see healthy, happy animals that are really thriving, that are doing what they would naturally do in the wild, that experience is so special.
AA: What is been done for future generations to be able to enjoy these parks as well as animals in the wild?
MP: If we don’t protect them today, they’re going to be lost for future generations to see and I think that’s part of what we want a guest to see with the new television series is that there are so many passionate individuals that want to save wild places. When the viewers meet those people, they can see what they do every day, they can watch and learn about those relationships they have with their animals and learn about our conservation program, then they’ll start believing that we really do have a future for wildlife. Certainly, people have just given up hope, because things are pretty dire out there.
This COVID situation we’re in right now is such a great example. That’s what happens when you don’t take really good care of wildlife and so it’s a very harsh lesson for us.
AA: Speaking of COVID, have the animals behaved differently by not have visitors to the park?
MP: That’s a great question. You know, some of them probably enjoy a bit of extended peace and quiet, but some of them absolutely miss the guests! There’s no question whatsoever. The guests are very entertaining for the animals because they’re very engaging in many cases. There are absolutely examples of animals that are so happy to have guests back. It’s like their television was turned off because their subscription wasn’t paid for a few months and now it’s back on!
AA: When you started out as a Vet, did you think you would be where you are now?
MP: Not at all! I’m so lucky. No, it’s a very, very special place. I have to tell you, I’m so proud of the television series about this amazing team that I work with.
I am also really proud of the Disney Company because they have backed the work that my team has done every single time. I feel very very proud.