The family at Disney Animal Kingdom just got a little bit bigger. A baby Mandrill was born on Saturday, April 10, to first-time mom Hazel and dad Linus.
Cast members named the infant Ivy to fit in with the rest of her colorful family – Olive, Scarlett, Snow and Hazel.
“We’re so excited to share this news and report that mom and newborn are healthy and bonding. Be on the lookout, because both have already been spotted by guests on Kilimanjaro Safaris,” Disney said in a post. Take a closer look at the cutest new addition to the herd:
You might see the shy baby clinging to Hazel’s stomach, a natural bonding behavior. But this will change soon as the baby begins to walk within weeks of being born, spending most of the time walking underneath mom. The baby joins the troop of seven other mandrills that call Disney’s Animal Kingdom home.
Here are some interesting facts about one of the most colorful mammals found in nature. Mandrills typically have a six-month gestation period. In the mandrill social structure, females take on the majority of parental responsibilities, including grooming, nursing, and carrying the young. When you spot the mandrills, you may see them grooming one another, a behavior that promotes social bonding.
The new arrival weighed in between 1-2 pounds, mandrills are actually the largest species of monkey. They’re also a vulnerable species found in African rainforests along the equator where their habitat is disappearing because of deforestation and poaching.