Timu, a female eastern black rhino, is the newest animal on the savanna at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Disney introduced her on Instagram on Friday, October 2, and she is already out in her habitat, so guests riding Kilimanjaro Safaris now have a chance to spot her.
There is no separate ticket or tour needed to see her. Kilimanjaro Safaris is included with park admission, so a seat on one of the open-air safari trucks is all it takes. As with every animal on the route, sightings depend on where Timu decides to spend her time.
How To Spot Timu On Kilimanjaro Safaris
Kilimanjaro Safaris is home to both white and black rhinos, and despite the names, both are gray. The real difference is the shape of the mouth. Black rhinos are smaller and have a pointed, hooked upper lip they use to grab leaves and branches, while white rhinos have a wide, square mouth built for grazing on grass. Guests who want a closer look at the park’s rhinos can also book Wild Africa Trek or Up Close with Rhinos, two privately guided tours.
The rhino habitats are built with hills, tall grasses, shade trees, rocks and shrubs, along with mud wallows the animals use to stay cool, shed parasites and avoid sunburn. Keepers refresh the wallows with new clay and even relocate them to keep the rhinos exploring. Black rhinos at the park are rewarded with sweet potatoes and carrots when they line up for their daily health checks.
Where Timu Came From
Timu arrived from the Racine Zoo in Wisconsin, moving to Florida under the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan, which coordinates breeding among accredited zoos to support endangered species.
She was a longtime favorite in Racine. Timu lived at the zoo from 2003 until this spring, and the zoo announced her departure on May 11 without naming her new home. It said only that she was headed to a facility with a strong track record of success in breeding eastern black rhinos.
For much of her time in Racine, Timu shared her habitat with another rhino, Kianga. The two were paired to breed, but despite many opportunities they never produced a calf, and Kianga moved to the Milwaukee County Zoo in the fall of 2025. “Timu was a guest favorite, and we were sad to see her go but so excited for her future and what that means to her kind,” Racine Zoo executive director Beth Heidorn said.
The same program is behind an upcoming departure at Animal Kingdom. Bakso, the Sumatran tiger born at the park in 2024, will move to another accredited zoo later this fall on a Species Survival Plan recommendation.
Why Black Rhinos Matter At Animal Kingdom
Rhinos rank among the most endangered species on Earth, and demand for rhino horn has driven a sharp rise in poaching. The eastern black rhino is one of the most endangered black rhino subspecies. Since 1995, the Disney Conservation Fund has supported nonprofit groups working with communities across Africa and Asia to protect rhinos and their habitats.
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