Category: Animal Kingdom

New Baby White Rhino Born at Disney World
An endangered white female rhino calf was born last month at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, and Disney had shared a sneak peek of the newborn.

A female baby white rhino was born last month to mother Lola. This birth marks the third white rhino born at the theme park in 13 months. It’s also the 13th white rhino to be born at Walt Disney World Resort.

Lola’s successful delivery was on the heels of two other births within the past 13 months. In all three births, the calves cozied up to mom right away and began nursing. Take a closer look below:
Sadly, rhinos in the wild are hunted for their horns, and their populations continue to dwindle. Because of this, rhino births are increasingly important to maintain healthy populations. We are also helping to protect white and black rhinos in the wild through the Disney Conservation Fund, supporting projects focused on habitat monitoring and restoration.

Rhinoceros are the world’s second largest land mammal. After a gestation period of 16 to 18 months, white rhinos typically weigh in around 140 pounds at birth. Lola and her new bundle of joy will spend the next several months bonding backstage before joining the rest of the herd on the park’s Harambe Wildlife Reserve. In the meantime, guests can keep an eye out for the first born of these three calves, Ranger, named in honor of the rangers who protect rhinos in the wild, while experiencing Kilimanjaro Safaris.

Lola’s calf joins a happy contingent of baby births this year, including Humphrey the Masai giraffe, Greta the hippo, and Ada the western lowland gorilla, just to name a few. All told, Disney’s Animal Kingdom has welcomed everything from the tiniest insects and snails to mammoth-hoofed creatures like the white rhino.
December 19, 2021
Demolition of Primeval Whirl Begins at Animal Kingdom

Disney Parks has started demolition on Primeval Whirl at Animal Kingdom this week.

Disney placed construction walls around the ride earlier this month, signaling that the ride’s end was near.

The attraction, located at Animal Kingdom’s DinoLand, was one of the centerpieces of the park. Visitors noticed that several of the large archways that framed the chain lift of the ride were pulled off the starting hill. Bioreconstruct of Twitter recently posted several pictures of the destruction as you can see below:

Areas of cut roller coaster track at the demolition of Primeval Whirl. pic.twitter.com/q0fiOF2rlU
— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) October 2, 2021

Primeval Whirl was a spinning roller coaster purchased from Reverchon Industries. The ride was part of Chester and Hester’s Dino-Rama, which is itself part of DinoLand U.S.A. It was a roller coaster in the “Mild But Wild Thrills” category. It had cars that spun in circles while traveling on tracks, permitting the ride experience to vary greatly each time it is ridden.

Disney has yet to comment on what would replace the ride.

October 4, 2021
VIDEO: New Baby White Rhino Born at Disney World

An endangered white male rhino calf was born earlier this month at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, and Disney had shared a sneak peek of the newborn.

Born to first-time mom Jao backstage at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. Mom and baby are doing great under the keepers’ watchful and joyful eyes. I am happy to report that the beautiful calf snuggled up to mom and began nursing right away.

The video below features endearing moments as mother Kendi bonds with her playful new baby:

“While we give Jao and her baby boy ample time to bond, it will be a little while before we know the calf’s weight.,” Disney said. Typically, white rhino calves can weigh as much as 140 pounds at birth.

Rhinoceros also have one of the longest gestation periods of any mammal – approximately 16 to 18 months. Our animal care team’s veterinarians, scientists and animal keepers kept a close eye on Jao throughout her pregnancy, conducting regular checkups and ultrasounds to ensure a safe birth.

Jao was paired with dad Dugan, the bull of the herd, through one of the Species Survival Plans, which are overseen by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to ensure the responsible breeding of endangered species. This birth is a true milestone for this endangered species. And our herd continues to grow. This delivery marks the 12^th rhino born at Disney, and the second rhino born in the last year. And even more hooves are on the horizon as another first-time mom, Lola, is expected to give birth this fall.

In the coming weeks, Jao and baby are expected to join the “crash” (a group of rhinos), in their habitat on the Harambe Wildlife Reserve where park guests can catch a glimpse of the herd while aboard Kilimanjaro Safaris.

September 16, 2021
VIDEO: Gorillas Go Viral at Disney World After a Snake Enters Their Enclosure

A video of the Gorilla’s at Animal Kingdom in Disney World has gone viral after their extremely relatable reaction to finding a snake in their habitat was posted to Tik Tok.

The video was viewed over 3 million times in a little over 24 hours. It’s unclear if it was recorded the same day it was posted.

The now-viral TikTok from was posted by Bearded Kraken (@silkystrokesurvivor) as you can see below:

@silkystrokesurvivor
Gorilla VS Snake #disneyworld #animalkingdom #gorilla #snake #3minutes #3minutevideo #SilkyAF #embracethesilk
♬ original sound – Bearded Kraken

The Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail offers guests a chance to “explore a lush tropical forest inhabited by native African wildlife including gorillas, hippos, and exotic birds,” and “salute [their] resident troop of gorillas.” The park is committed to conservation and allowing guests to see the animals in their “natural” habitat. Unfortunately for the gorillas, snakes are sometimes part of their natural habitat.

June 27, 2021
New Baby Giraffe Born at Disney World

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park at Disney World announced the recent birth of a strapping, long-necked male giraffe.

The healthy calf weighed in at 183 pounds and stands six feet tall, according to Disney’s animal care team on site for the birth. The still-to-be named calf is calm, relaxed and enjoys cuddle time with his mom, Lily.

Distinct markings reveal a butterfly on his right shoulder, heart-shaped spots on his coat and a white-tipped speckled mane. Take a closet look at mom and baby below:

Lily is a parenting pro, staying close to her baby to bond and nurse. Giraffes born at the park spend several weeks bonding in backstage environments before meeting members of their extended giraffe family.

The pitter patter of little hooves is quite familiar to the Disney animal care team. This new arrival is the third giraffe born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in the past year, marking another success for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan Program. These plans ensure responsible breeding of threatened and endangered species. Giraffes are a vulnerable species facing a silent extinction in the wild, with a population decline of 40 percent over the past 30 years.

Walt Disney World Resort is a proud home to two subspecies of giraffes. Masai giraffe live on the park’s Kilimanjaro Safaris savanna, while Reticulated giraffe, Hybrid giraffe and Masai giraffe roam the savanna at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom guests can keep their eyes peeled for mom and calf to join the rest of the giraffe herd on the savanna in the coming weeks.

June 26, 2021
VIDEO: Baby Zebra Born at Disney World on Kilimanjaro Safaris Savannah

The folks over at Disney’s Animal Kingdom are seeing stripes today! The park has just announced the birth of a Hartmann’s Mountain zebra foal.

Some lucky guests riding Kilimanjaro Safaris for to see the birth on the savanna this morning. Estimated to weigh about 65 pounds, the healthy baby boy has long legs and was standing and nuzzling with mom within minutes of birth.

Mom Heidi is a parenting pro – staying close to her baby to bond and nurse. Bonding is especially important, as a young zebra will imprint on its mother’s scent and memorize the unique markings on its mother’s hind legs to tell her apart from others in the herd. In the coming weeks, the pair will rejoin sister Asha and the rest of the herd on the savanna. Take a look at the video below:

The foal was born as part of the Species Survival Plan program, which is overseen by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and ensures responsible breeding and genetic diversity of hundreds of animal species.

Today’s joyful arrival marks the first zebra birth at Walt Disney World this year. The resort is home to three distinct types of zebra: Hartmann’s mountain zebra, Grevy’s zebra and plains zebra. Though zebra may all be defined by their stripes, there are distinct stripe patterns that define each type. Hartmann’s mountain and Grevy’s zebras have stripes that stop right at the edge of their bellies, while stripes on common zebras wrap around the whole body. You can tell a Grevy’s zebra from a Hartmann’s mountain zebra by looking at their ears. They are larger on the Grevy’s zebra.

Hartmann’s mountain zebras are found in sub-Saharan Africa and are a vulnerable species due to habitat loss and hunting.

May 17, 2021
Baby Mandrill Born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

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.

April 13, 2021
New Baby Rhino Calf Joins the Herd at Animal Kingdom
A monumental rite of passage was marked yesterday as a new baby rhino, joined by his mom Kendi, made his big savanna debut and joined the crash (a rhino herd) at Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park.

Ranger, the four our-month-old white rhino calf, is the first for the herd in five years and he’s now grown to be more than four times his birth weight, weighing in at nearly 600 pounds.

Ever since his arrival was announced at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park this past October, guests have been wondering about the baby boy rhino and his mom Kendi, since many of them followed Kendi’s pregnancy story on the Disney+ original series “Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom,” produced by National Geographic.
Ranger was eager to explore his new environment with his head high and ears up – plunging right into the mud alongside Kendi for a good wallow before running around to see all the new savanna sights. This rambunctious rhino calf made fast friends with his “aunties” Lola and Jao, and mom Kendi kept close by to make sure Ranger stayed out of trouble. Of course, such an adventurous morning requires lots of energy, so there was plenty of nursing and napping going on, too.

Collectively, Disney’s Animal Care team has hundreds of years of experience, and their teamwork and expertise are crucial to ensuring Ranger’s successful transition to the savanna. But each animal is unique with their own personalities, development and family dynamics, so each onstage introduction is something special.

Kendi was paired with dad Dugan through one of the Species Survival Plans, which are overseen by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to ensure the responsible breeding of endangered species. White rhinos are an endangered species with a near-threatened status.
February 24, 2021
‘Festival of the Lion King’ returning to Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Disney has announced that a new modified version of one of “Festival of the Lion King” is returning to Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort.

“We are thrilled to be starting the process of bringing back to work more singers, dancers, technicians and other cast members, from one of the most popular shows at Walt Disney World Resort,” Disney stated in a post.

When it returns, “Festival of the Lion King” will be presented in a modified format to be mindful of the current environment. There will be adjustments to the show on stage and backstage, including updates to choreography to allow for appropriate physical distancing. They will also adjust how the audience is seated, in line with other theater-based experiences at Walt Disney World Resort. 

Expected this summer, the Harambe Theatre at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park will host that fan-favorite troupe of musical storytellers, along with Simba and his friends, in a celebration of the incomparable “Festival of the Lion King.”

Since reopening the Walt Disney World theme parks last July, Disney has taken a different approach to thier entertainment, coming up with new ways to share the magic of the Disney characters. With cavalcades and flotillas continuing to delight guests daily and are now turning thier attention to bringing back even more entertainment with a responsible and thoughtful approach.

January 21, 2021
Disney Reveals New Baby Rhino’s Name at Animal Kingdom

Disney Parks has share a video that the Animal Kingdom keeper team put together of the parks newest rhino calf to reveal his name while showing him achieving some of his important first milestones.

Ever since his arrival announced at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park this past October, guests have been wondering about the baby boy rhino and his mom Kendi, since many of them followed Kendi’s pregnancy story on the Disney+ original series “Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom,” produced by National Geographic.

Take a look at the video below and be sure to pay close attention to the ending for the big reveal.

The Animal Kingdom keeper team wanted to make sure their baby boy had a name with special significance – they wanted his name to honor the wildlife rangers who protect rhinos around the world. Rhinos are the world’s second largest land animal and among the most endangered animals in the wild due to poaching.

Ranger’s name is just another way they join the Disney Conservation Fund in efforts to support rhino conservation. Did you know they have given more than 75 grants and awards to rhino protection projects? Most recently, they gave a rhino ranger, Sgt. Mutinda Ndivo with the Big Life Foundation, a Disney Conservation Hero award for his work to protect rhinos and other wildlife in more than 1.6 million acres of wilderness in East Africa.

Typically, a rhino calf can weigh up to 140 pounds at birth, and as expected, this baby was nursing, standing and walking around right by mom within the first hour of being born.

Kendi was paired with dad Dugan through one of the Species Survival Plans, which are overseen by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to ensure the responsible breeding of endangered species. White rhinos are an endangered species with a near-threatened status.

We’ll make sure to update you when he makes his grand debut and ventures out onto the savanna at Kilimanjaro Safaris to join the crash (a rhino herd) in the coming weeks.

January 13, 2021