Disney News Blog

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., Oct. 19, 2009 -- Walt Disney World Resort recently welcomed two male calves to the giraffe herd at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Weighing 153 pounds, Bolo was born Oct. 12 to second-time mother Big Girl, who first birthed a female calf in November 2005. On Oct. 5, the Disney’s Animal Programs team helped to deliver 166-pound calf Bruehler from third-time mother Aibuni. As newborns, both male calves stand nearly six feet tall and could grow to be as tall as 15 – 18 feet as adults.

Both calves and mothers appear to be doing well according to veterinarians and animal care managers. The young males, who began nursing successfully soon after birth, are already feisty and very active.

“The next important milestone is for the calves to continue the bonding process with their mothers who will teach them important lessons and guide them as they are introduced to the herd in the coming weeks,” said Matt Hohne, Animal Operations Director at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

These two latest bundles of joy represent the 13th and 14th giraffes born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom since opening in 1998. Giraffes at Walt Disney World Resort are bred through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Population Management Plan, which is a consortium of zoos and wildlife parks working together to conserve and breed animals.

Other Fun Facts about Giraffes
· The typical gestation period for a giraffe is approximately 15 months.
· An adult giraffe’s neck alone can measure up to 7-feet, and their tongues can be as long as 18 inches.
· Each giraffe has a unique set of skin markings, similar to a human fingerprint.
· Same as people, giraffes have seven neck vertebrae bones.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., May 7, 2009 – The animal care team from Walt Disney World Resort has been busy since last Mother’s Day, assisting with the births of more than 440 animals and more importantly, helping to ensure that the relationship between mother and child remains uncompromised.

While much focus is given to the expert care of the animals during the birthing process, equal attention is given to the delicate and complex mother-child bonding process which uniquely varies among species and among individual animals.

For example, animal care experts at Disney’s Animal Kingdom were recently monitoring two baby vultures hatched from two different sets of new parents. One pair adapted quickly to their new parenting roles, while the other pair struggled and had difficulty feeding their new offspring. Concerned about malnourishment, the animal husbandry team intervened by providing supplemental food to the smaller bird. Eventually, the struggling parents began copying the behaviors of the adept parents and improved their parenting skills. Their efforts have been successful and today, both young chicks are of equal size.

“Disney’s Animal Programs team constantly balances animals’ physical needs such as food and shelter with the social needs of both mother and child.” said Matt Hohne, animal operations director at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. “By sharing this information with guests and with other researchers, Disney’s Animal Programs hopes to protect species and learn more about breeding, animal behavior, health and natural habitats, which are paramount to the success of long-term conservation efforts.”

Among mammals, nearly all of the primary caregivers are mothers, but in some groups, it may take an entire village to raise a child. For instance, Walt Disney World Resort welcomed a black and white colobus monkey baby – the first of its species born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Animal keepers are typically more anxious about the parenting skills of any first-time mother, but this baby continues to thrive under the attentive and watchful eyes of first-time mother, Kabibi. She’s also getting some extra help from three other adults that take turns watching the baby while the mother sleeps or eats.

Last June, second-time mother Moyo gave birth to a 327-pound male elephant calf – the heaviest animal yet to be born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. During the baby’s first days, mother and son bonded quickly and the animal care team quickly became confident about the calf’s future since nursing was early and successful. Some of that confidence may be attributed to experience. Having groomed and nursed a first-born, Moyo quickly remembered her prior parenting skills.

At Disney‘s Animal Kingdom, animal experts carefully monitor the progress of mother and baby, starting with the infant’s eating habits and activity levels. They also closely watch the care-giving habits of the mother to ensure the baby receives appropriate care and grooming. This level of attention is maintained not only during infancy but throughout an animal’s entire lifespan.

Through successful breeding programs, Disney’s animal experts are helping to increase the population of endangered animals such as the Key Largo woodrat and the Micronesian kingfisher. The goal is to eventually reintroduce these captive-born animals in the wild. Such was the case with a pair of endangered white rhinos that were born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and transferred to a wildlife preserve in Africa. This was the first reintroduction of white rhinos from the United States to Africa and marked the beginning of efforts to re-establish a rhino population -- extinct since 1972 when white rhinos were a casualty of civil unrest in the region.

This commitment to animals reaches beyond the boundaries of Disney theme parks through the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund, (DWCF). Since establishment in 1995, the DWCF has donated $13.8 million in funding to 750 projects in 110 countries. One of the current projects is a gorilla rescue center in the Democratic Republic of Congo where animal experts are working to rehabilitate and reintroduce orphaned gorillas that lost both parents due to poaching and other illegal activities.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., March 5, 2009 -- Walt Disney World Resort recently welcomed a black and white colobus monkey – the first of its species born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The infant arrived February 17 after a six-month gestation and may be seen along the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail with a group of five other colobus monkeys.

While the weight, size and gender are still unknown, animal care experts are encouraged by the amount of care given by first-time mother, Kabibi. “The baby was born looking healthy and vigorous,” said Rebecca Phillips, a primate manager at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. “We’re encouraged that the mother and baby seem to be adapting well.”

At birth, colobus monkeys are covered in white fur that is gradually replaced with black hair matching the adults. The monkeys are distinguished by their black body and white shoulders, backs and beard. The monkeys stand between 18- and 27-inches tall and weigh approximately 12 to 32 pounds. Unlike most primates, the colobus do not have thumbs, although they have long tails that help them navigate through the forest quickly.

Kabibi came to Disney’s Animal Kingdom in 2008 as part the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan, which manages genetic diversity among species through detailed records of individual animals. Disney’s Animal Kingdom also participates in AZA Species Survival Plans for several other animals, including elephants, cotton-top tamarins and okapi.

Currently, approximately 65 colobus monkeys exist in AZA-accredited facilities around the United States.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., Dec. 5, 2008 -- Disney's Animal Kingdom welcomed the 28th gerenuk calf weighing in at six pounds and approximately two feet tall, after a seven-month gestation.

A gerenuk, which in Somali means “giraffe-necked,” is an African antelope with a unique long neck allowing them to eat leaves off the tree versus savannah grass. Unlike other gazelles and most antelopes that graze on grasses, gerenuks often stand erect on their hind legs and stretch their long necks to browse on taller bushes. They are typically found in areas of dry, bushy shrub and because of their arid habitat, they do not need to drink, because they get enough water from the plants they eat. Typical size for an adult gerenuk is approximately three feet at the shoulder with a weight between 80 and 115 pounds.

The female calf, just recently named Presley, was born November 16. Her mother, Tupelo, is six years old and has been at Disney's Animal Kingdom since 2004. Both are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquarium’s Gerenuk Population Management Plan.