Tag: mandrill

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
Baby Mandrill Was Born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Walt Disney World has been welcoming guests back during the phased reopening and now they are welcoming a new baby mandrrill to Animal Kingdom.

On Saturday, July 25, the animal care team at the park welcomed a “colorful” mandrill infant, born to first-time father, Linus, and mother, Scarlett.

Scarlett and baby have already begun making short appearances in their habitat on the Kilimanjaro Safari, joining the other members of their mandrill troop. Take a look at the video below:

Mom and baby are doing well and spending lots of time bonding. In fact, their bond is so close that at the baby’s neonatal exam, our veterinary team wasn’t able to determine if the baby is a boy or a girl just yet, because mom is keeping the infant so close to her belly.

While this little one is pretty tiny now, mandrills are actually the largest species of monkey in the world. They’re a vulnerable species found in African rainforests along the equator, where their habitat is disappearing because of deforestation and poaching. This birth is an example of how our dedicated and highly trained team of Disney animal care experts works with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) on Species Survival Plans (SSPs). The SSP assures responsible breeding for endangered species, such as mandrill monkeys, allowing for a healthy and genetically diverse population of such animals for years to come.

July 29, 2020
A Baby Mandrill Was Born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Yesterday

The family at Disney Animal Kingdom just got a little bit bigger. A baby mandrill was born on Aug. 8 at the park to mom Scarlett and dad Winston.

Mandrills are the largest species of monkey, but you wouldn’t know that after seeing the newest member. Scarlett, Winston and their new baby are three of the mandrills that guests can view on Kilimanjaro Safaris.

Mandrills are a vulnerable species found in African rainforests along the equator, where their habitat is disappearing because of deforestation and poaching.

This birth is another example of how Disney’s dedicated and highly trained team of Disney animal care experts works with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) on Species Survival Plans (SSPs), which ensure responsible breeding of threatened and endangered species, in order to maintain a healthy and genetically diverse population of such animals for years to come.

With this birth, Disney has had the advantage of expert advice right in the park. Rebecca Phillips, Animal Operations manager at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is also a Species Survival Plan (SSP) coordinator for mandrills with the AZA. In this role, she not only supports animal births like this at our park, she also spends time advising animal care teams at other zoos around the world about the species and helps them take the first steps to introduce mandrills to their zoo.

“There are many reasons why I’m excited to be an SSP coordinator for mandrills. I love helping zoos, including our own, and I love the success stories. As a two-time mom and also a surrogate mother, Scarlett is an example of how we’re helping a vulnerable species thrive, and it’s thrilling to watch her family grow,” said Phillips.

Disney’s work to support mandrills doesn’t stop there. Since 1995, the Disney Conservation Fund has provided more than $6.5 million to support conservation of mandrills and other primates in 29 countries.

As far as the new baby mandrill, the gender and exact birth weight is unknown because Disney is giving Scarlett and her baby plenty of time to bond.

Guests may catch a glimpse of the pair on Kilimanjaro Safaris where you will likely see the baby hugging Scarlett’s stomach, a natural bonding behavior that as the infant grows will transition to mom’s back. We hope to see you out on the Safari!

August 9, 2018