'Magic of Disney's Animal Kingdom' returns to National Geographic and Disney+ in early 2023

Dec 01, 2022 in "Disney's Animal Kingdom"

Posted: Thursday December 1, 2022 2:06pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

An all-new season of "Magic of Disney's Animal Kingdom," is debuting January 1 2023 on National Geographic, and all episodes will be released on Disney+ January 4 2023.

The show continues from season 1 with an all-access pass to explore the magic of nature within Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, The Seas with Nemo & Friends at EPCOT and Tri-Circle-D Ranch, which hold more than 300 species and 5,000-plus animals.

This 10-episode docu-series showcases the vast array of animals in Disney's care, and the dedicated team of animal experts who manage the around-the-clock needs of the animals, ranging from pulling a big tooth from Lil Joe, the manatee; throwing a birthday party for Galápagos tortoises; releasing sea turtles back into the wild after rehabilitation; hatching baby flamingos and more.


Here is a look at each episode of 'Magic of Disney's Animal Kingdom' season 2 which was filmed over 5 months in 2022.

"Magic of Disney's Animal Kingdom: Giraffic Jam"

Sun, Jan. 1 at 8/7c on National Geographic and Nat Geo WILD

Giraffes on the savanna hold up guest traffic and find a way to get more food from keeper Rory; Tolstoy the 100+ year old loggerhead sea turtle undergoes treatment to help him eat properly; a new hippo Rosie attempts to make friends with the rest of the bloat; and an aging collared brown lemur celebrates his birthday in style.

"Magic of Disney's Animal Kingdom: Sea You Later, Turtles!"

Sun, Jan. 1 at 9/8c on National Geographic and Nat Geo WILD

Love is in the air as Nadirah and Mac the elephants go on their first date, and hopefully create new life. Lilly the Cinderella pony fulfills her destiny and makes a bride's dream come true. Tiny wild turtles hatch at Disney's Vero Beach, and Spike the gorilla struggles with the lasting effects of a dangerous infection and severe osteoarthritis.

"Magic of Disney's Animal Kingdom: Sea Turtle SOS"

Fri, Jan. 6 at 10/9c on National Geographic

A group of rescued wild sea turtles arrive at EPCOT in need of urgent medical care before being released back into the ocean, a young rhino receives special treatment backstage after he cracks his horn, the Disney team creates a new chew toy to entertain the lion pride, and Heidi the Hartmann's mountain zebra gives birth!

"Magic of Disney's Animal Kingdom: Okapi Bundle of Joy"

Fri, Jan. 13 at 10/9c on National Geographic

Olivia the pregnant okapi has a successful ultrasound scan and delights her keepers by giving birth to a healthy baby, Logan the raven learns some new tricks before wowing audiences during his stage show, Princess the elderly mandrill arrives at the park in search of a new home and family, and Disney's first blacktip reef shark prepares to join the main underwater environment at The Seas.

"Magic of Disney's Animal Kingdom: Gorilla Divemaster"

Fri, Jan. 20 at 10/9c on National Geographic

A western lowland gorilla takes a road trip to receive pioneering hyperbaric oxygen therapy, a black rhinoceros is fitted with a fitness tracker to study his movements, the veterinary team investigates what might be causing a roan antelope to drastically lose weight, and the Galápagos tortoises celebrate their tenth birthdays with a wild party!

"Magic of Disney's Animal Kingdom: Flocks of Love"

Fri, Jan. 27 at 10/9c on National Geographic

Lily the Masai giraffe needs an X-ray to determine if she's broken her toe, but she's reluctant to be anesthetized. The park's tight-knit pack of painted dog brothers must be separated to get their annual health check. And at the Tree of Life, the lesser flamingo flock gets a visit from the stork with a very cute addition for Disney's Animal Kingdom!

"Magic of Disney's Animal Kingdom: That's Amore Eel"

Fri, Feb. 3 at 10/9c on National Geographic

Sigsbee the anemic green moray eel gets a health check, Tequila the Nile hippopotamus has a painful toothache, and Hank the wild gopher tortoise digs herself a new home on Disney grounds. Then the granddaddy of the resident purple martin flock, Steve, disappears without a trace! And Harper, a beloved white-cheeked gibbon, prepares to leave the park to start her very own family.

"Magic of Disney's Animal Kingdom: Chilled-Out Cheetahs"

Fri, Feb. 10 at 10/9c on National Geographic

A young zebra undergoes urgent abdominal surgery after an encounter with an eland's horn, two meerkats jostle for top position in the meerkat mob, a frogfish is given a bone graft to mend his broken jaw, and the Disney Imagineers build a motorized ball to help keep a trio of chilled-out cheetahs entertained.

"Magic of Disney's Animal Kingdom: Giant Leap for Rhinokind"

Fri, Feb. 17 at 10/9c on National Geographic

A critically endangered antelope is losing weight fast and needs urgent surgery, a baby rhino takes her first steps out on the savanna to meet her extended family for the very first time, a dig-happy warthog gets the perfect piggy pedicure, and a beloved manatee struggles with a toothache – time to visit the dentist!

“Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Gesundheit, Jolo!”

Fri, Feb. 24 at 10/9c on National Geographic

Jolo the rescued manatee battles a potentially deadly parasitic infection that puts her release into jeopardy, Kianga the elephant throws a temper tantrum in the pool, Maathai the cheetah has tummy troubles that must be investigated, and Kevin the crested coua chick shows his keepers how to keep his food on target.

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cookiee_munsterDec 01, 2022

He's not everyone's cup of tea, but just as a narrator of the series, you barely realise that it's him when the focus is on everything else :)

JohnDDec 01, 2022

Yes, the Seas was incorporated from the beginning so that land and sea based animals are included on the show.

FutureCEODec 01, 2022

Show is great but I'm not a big fan of Josh Gad *runs and hides*

Chip ChippersonDec 01, 2022

I can't wait. The first season was excellent and I've been impatiently waiting for Season 2.

CaptainAmericaDec 01, 2022

This is synergy done right. Josh Gad narrating a NatGeo-branded Disney+ show featuring Walt Disney World. Perfect.

dreday3Dec 01, 2022

Yay! I've been waiting for this!!! We plan to look for all the featured animals in April if we can!

Back!Elbow!Shoulders!Dec 01, 2022

I’ve throughly enjoyed the episodes so far. Looking forward to more.

PhantomTeaMistress999Nov 23, 2020

I really hope they do more episodes of this show, it's become a favorite.

MisterPenguinNov 23, 2020

I learned that giraffes are as responsive to commands as cats.

Notes from NeverlandNov 23, 2020

This was a great series! We missed the fact it was eight episodes and were bummed to find out all of them had been released. Hopefully more are made in the future.

zweltarNov 23, 2020

We really enjoyed this show, too. Kinda bummed that it was only 8 episodes.

DoleWhipDreaNov 23, 2020

I just wanted to do a little bump on this thread and say that this show has been an absolute delight to watch! My hubby and I have really enjoyed watching the show and have recommended it to friends and family. As someone that enjoys seeing the animals at the parks, it’s been really exciting to see certain animals featured on the show and not only recognize them but get to learn more about their daily lives! It’s also tremendously heartwarming to see how devoted the CM animal caretakers and veterinarians are. I am really hoping that Disney does more seasons of this show, and uses it as more of a means to educate and connect with guests in the parks and at home.

Chip ChippersonSep 28, 2020

I really enjoyed the first episode. Between the frustration of the Cast Members trying to lure the giraffe and the elephant that listened to commands perfectly, it was a great episode.