ORLANDO, Fla. – Walt Disney World is celebrating the birth of a new baby zebra at Animal Kingdom.
Disney officials said a select number of guests Monday witnessed the birth while on Kilimanjaro Safaris.
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“Estimated to weigh about 65 pounds, the healthy baby boy has long legs and was standing and nuzzling with mom within minutes of birth,” Disney said on its blog. “Mom Heidi is a parenting pro – staying close to her baby to bond and nurse.”
Disney said a Hartmann’s mountain zebra foal 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. Disney currently has three types of zebra across its resort including the Hartmann’s mountain zebra, Grevy’s zebra and plains zebra.
The new baby zebra born Monday is the first zebra birth at Animal Kingdom this year.
Disney said the zebra was born as part of the Species Survival Plan program, which is overseen by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
In the coming weeks, Disney said the pair will rejoin sister Asha and the rest of the herd on the savanna.
Other animals born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom recently include Ranger the rhino, Ivy the mandrill and Maple and Zella, two Masai giraffes.
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