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Baby Porcupine born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Remember that heartwarming announcement Dr. Mark Penning announced earlier, well we’re excited to share that the big news was the arrival of a baby porcupine, also called a porcupette. Although Walt Disney World Resort is closed temporarily during the Coronavirus crisis, the park’s intrepid animal… Read More »Baby Porcupine born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Baby Giraffe born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom today

Disney Animal Kingdom’s animal population grew by one very cute Masai giraffe calf today. Mom, Mara, gave birth today around 2pm on the Kilimanjaro Safari savanna. Earlier in the day guests reported seeing Mara in labor out on the grasslands. The ‘little’ calf was a… Read More »Baby Giraffe born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom today

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Disney’s Animal Program Works to Aid Sea Turtles

If you were waltzing through Rafiki’s Planet watch over the winter holidays, you may have seen on of Disney’s animal rescue programs in action. Disney’s animal program helped to care for eight Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles that were suffering from hypothermia after a recent cold… Read More »Disney’s Animal Program Works to Aid Sea Turtles

Baby Okapi born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

And now for today’s moment of cuteness. “Nafuna”, a 35-pound female baby Okapi, was recently born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Reported healthy after her first wellness exam, Nafuna, whose name means delivered feet first, was born on June 21st following a 14-month gestation period.

Okapi are one of the animals who always generate excitment in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. You can see them in three places. Guests will be able to catch a glimpse of Nafuna and first-time mom Zawadi a few months from now at Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s Ituri Forest. Father Akili currently lives on the savannah at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. They’re also available on the Pagani walking trail at DAK.

Considered rare in the wild, okapis are often thought as being related to the zebra because of their stripes. But okapis are in fact, related to the giraffe. Their natural habitat is the Ituri Forest, a dense rain forest in central Africa, which is often threatened by loggers, hunters and human settlements.

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Sixth Baby Elephant Brings Cuteness and Joy to Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Once again Disney’s Animal Kingdom has wowed us with cuteness and impressed us with the power of conservation. A new 311 pound baby elephant joined the park’s African elephant herd on Wednesday. Disney’s team of animal care professionals play an important part in protecting this endangered species and a new calf will help sustain the elephant population.

This is the sixth elephant born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The others are:

  • Tufani, a male, born in 2003;
  • Kianga, a female, born in 2004;
  • Nadirah a female, born in 2005;
  • Tsavo, a male, born in 2008; and
  • Luna, a female born 2010.

Watching young animals frolic on the savannah is always one of the highlights of Kilimanjaro Safaris. So I predict a lot of rides in my future.

More details, baby elephant facts, and another photo below the jump:

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Cute Alert: Baby White Rhino with Disney Roots

Update: The baby now has a name – Obama. You remember those two white rhinos sent to Uganda from Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Well now the first white rhino born in 27 years has come from one of those animals. Congratulations to Disney’s Animal Program and… Read More »Cute Alert: Baby White Rhino with Disney Roots