NC State Student's Animal Kingdom Internship Leads to New Research Path

Trinity Forbes grew up visiting Disney's Animal Kingdom as a wide-eyed kid, captivated by giraffes, gorillas and elephants. This past summer, she returned — not as a guest, but as a research intern with Disney's Animal, Science and Environment (ASE) team, studying the nutritional science behind what those animals eat.

Forbes, a double major in animal science and zoology at NC State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, worked on two primary research projects during her internship. The first examined how much nutritional value different types of bones contribute to the diets of carnivores including lions, cheetahs and tigers. The second, developed with the guidance of Disney comparative animal nutritionist Katie Sullivan, was a preliminary study on carotenoid degradation in browse species — woody leaves, trees and shrubs — fed to African elephants and Southern black rhinos. That research looked at vitamin A deficiency across more than 40 animal facilities, and NC State and Disney are now exploring a potential partnership to continue investigating carotenoid isomers.

Forbes also presented her findings at the Comparative Nutrition Society 2026 conference in Victoria, British Columbia, where she took second place in a student poster competition. Day to day, the work ranged from collecting samples inside animal enclosures and out on the safari to running lab analyses and working through datasets — often logging 15,000 to 20,000 steps a day navigating the sprawling park.

The experience has reshaped her long-term plans. Forbes came to NC State with veterinary school in mind, but she's now considering a master's degree in nutrition and eventually a Ph.D., drawn by the depth and variety of research careers available in animal science and zoology. She encourages fellow students to look beyond the vet school track and stay open to where hands-on experience might lead them — and, practically speaking, to always check their email, since that's how she found the internship opportunity in the first place.

This story was originally published by NC State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.