Why do they have that fake ostrich egg on Kilimanjaro Safaris?

[DJ Disney Kid]

You know how many people take photos of that and tell their friends "LOOK A REAL OSTRICH EGG!!!"

It just always stands out to me as odd since their going for a realism factor.

 

[bearzabout]

I think it is so they can teach kids just how big ostrich eggs are. Fake is more practical under the circumstances.

 

[nibby]

It just always stands out to me as odd since their going for a realism factor.

So you think the 'Little Red' story is real

 

[CindyAnn]

I have to admit that it always seems odd to me, too. They could just as easily display it somewhere along the Pangani Forest Trail and show the size there, where people could stop and read about it.

 

[mickeyfan2]

They are real!!!!!

 

[cleo]

They are real!!!!!

Well then they're certainly taking their time about hatching!

They're one of the few fake elements on the ride (along with the termite mound, dontcha know), but they're appropriate to the ride, so why not? It's funny to listen to other riders trying to figure out if they're real or not.

 

[kaytieeldr]

They ARE real, at least according to a CM I asked last year. They're not fertilized (and they may even be empty, I forget, like many Easter eggs are - pinholes in each end, then blow out the contents and seal up the holes).

I wondered the same thing - year after year, trip after trip, ALWAYS ostrich eggs and ALWAYS in about the same place. I do believe the Cast Member - but if anybody goes on one of the backstage tours at AKL, it can't hurt to double-check... and naturally, post the response here

 

[PuckHeadBill]

If you think they're not real, then everyone has a really good imagination, since everyone's imagining the same ostrich eggs in the same place ... However, since multiple people have seen them, I'm inclined to believe that they really do exist, therefore, they are real. Now, as to whether or not there's actually a developing ostrich in there ...

 

[NJDad18]

They're real and their spectacular

 

[julsmom]

They're real and their spectacular

That is hilarious!!!!!

 

[ssleblanc]

I used to work at the zoo here, and we had TONS of ostrich eggs. Real eggs almost feel fake, and yes, they blow them out (put a hole in each end and empty the contents, I know - I used to have to do that). Zoos do this all over, they don't want/need a ton of baby ostriches hatching all over the country, not enough zoo space for them and they aren't endangered, requiring repopulation through zoo population efforts. So, the eggs are pulled, blown out, and often put back into the nests.

Now - I might be wrong about this part (it was some time ago), but I *think* we used to keep the blown out eggs in the exhibit because it reduced the number of new eggs that were layed by the mommy ostriches. Like I said, I could be wrong about that aspect. It seems the ostriches would KNOW that the eggs weren't viable and wouldn't slow down the production of new eggs because they had some to sit on. I know we kept eggs in the exhibit though ... maybe it was just for effect. ???

The real eggs are VERY durable. My kids have even taken them to show-and-tell at school and they've returned unharmed (AMAZING for kindergarden boys). Now, the emu and rhea eggs ... they broke those. They aren't as thick/hard/strong.

 

[BrianD]

They're real and their spectacular

That is the funniest thing I've read all day.

 

[Sleeping Becca]

They use "fake" elements on the ride like the Upsidedown trees, termite mounds, ostrich eggs, Little Red, etc so that even if no live animals show up to your safari, you will still see something.

 

[Dixie Luvr 98]

So do ostriches really lay their eggs out in the open like that?

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

SSleBlanc, thanks for that info!!

 

[poohs_hunny]

They're real and their spectacular

How do you know - did you touch them?

 

[CarolA]

Well then they're certainly taking their time about hatching!

They're one of the few fake elements on the ride (along with the termite mound, dontcha know), but they're appropriate to the ride, so why not? It's funny to listen to other riders trying to figure out if they're real or not.

They are REAL. They will NEVER hatch. Disney has only FEMALE Ostrichs so they won't get fertilized and no hatching.....

I did ask on the backstage tour and also on my private Safari... (I got lucky and got the whole truck to myself... I also asked why at $50 a head Disney can't fix the gates to keep those poachers out!)

 

[disneydancer1969]

i think they do it because it gives it that disney touch but i don't think that if it was real and it hatched that the mommy would be happy we were staring at her new baby and she might think we were going to go and take it so that is just my guess from a disneyfan.

 

[JPN4265]

You know how many people take photos of that and tell their friends "LOOK A REAL OSTRICH EGG!!!"

It just always stands out to me as odd since their going for a realism factor.

You just wait until they hatch that animatronic ostrich, then you'll be singing a different tune....