Mori Pacheco

Mori is an African Hoofstock Keeper at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge where she works with a variety of African hoofstock and birds in a mixed species exhibit in a resort atmosphere. Her daily tasks include managing and shifting animals, observing animal behaviors, and managing compatibility between individuals and species.

Mori has been very passionate about working with animals since she spent time volunteering in animal shelters in high school. She was a docent at the Central Florida Zoo for several years before attending Santa Fe Community College in the Zoo Animal Technology program. After graduating, she worked at Animal Kingdom Park at the Colors of the Wind Show in Camp Minnie Mickey before transferring to her current position in 2006. Mori has been involved in several field projects throughout her career such as the Key Largo wood rat project and helping with sea turtles in Vero Beach.

Mori’s favorite part of her job is that every day can be unexpected! She finds it very important to be able to adapt to change and have a team mindset. Mori’s favorite animal is the okapi, which she is lucky enough to work with every day. She is fascinated by their mysterious nature and the fact that they weren’t discovered until 1901. Mori’s advice for aspiring animal keepers is to never give up and be willing to go the extra mile to gain experience in the field. Mori is also a member of the LGBTQ+ community.