Keepers named the zebra foal ‘Dash’ because of his “spunky spirit” and a stripe on his shoulder identical to one on his mother. Some lucky guests got to see mom Heidi give birth to Dash while riding Kilimanjaro Safaris in May.
Dash and his older sister Asha were both born as part of the Species Survival Plan program, which is overseen by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The program ensures responsible breeding and genetic diversity of hundreds of animal species.
The Kilimanjaro Safaris family got a little bigger today at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, as a baby Hartmann’s mountain zebra was born on the savanna, and we have a look at the bouncing (and standing) baby boy!
Guests riding Kilimanjaro Safaris today got to see the miracle of birth and the magic of nature in stunning reality. Some lucky guests got to see the birth of a Hartmann’s mountain zebra foal that was born 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.
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.
While the parks are closed, we have another cute baby animal update from Dr. Mark Penning, Vice President of Animals, Science and Environment at Disney Parks:
Disney’s Animal Care team is continuing to provide top-notch care to thousands of animals throughout the parks closure, including the newest addition to Disney’s Animal Kingdom that’s black and white and cute all over. A Hartmann’s Zebra foal was born early Saturday morning (Mar. 21) to first-time-mom, Heidi… and the baby is a girl!
The foal, who has yet to be named, is about 65 pounds, and is quite strong – she was standing within 30 minutes of birth. Already very active and curious, this little lady is much like her mother and has very long legs.
Check out this video captured by one of the animal keepers to see a few moments of sweet mother-daughter time:
Heidi is showing she’s a natural at parenting skills as she stays close to her baby to bond with her 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 the rest of the herd. In a few weeks, after the pair develop a strong bond, they will be introduced to the Kilimanjaro Safaris savannah.
The foal was born as part of the Species Survival Plan (SSP) program, which is overseen by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and ensures responsible breeding and genetic diversity of thousands of species of animals. Her arrival marks the third zebra birth at Walt Disney World this year.
Hartmann’s mountain zebras are found in sub-Saharan Africa and are a vulnerable species due to habitat loss and hunting. To learn more about zebras and other species Disney is working to protect, visit DisneyAnimals.com and follow Dr. Mark on Instagram: @DrMarkAtDisney.
January has brought two new additions to the Disney’s Animal Kingdom family. A baby Hartmann’s zebra, the first foal of the species to be born at the park, can be seen at Kilimanjaro Safaris. Meanwhile, Douglas, an Angolan black-and-white colobus monkey, can be seen on view at Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail.
Per Disney:
On Jan. 21, a yet-to-be-named Hartmann’s zebra foal was born to mom Prima under the care of the West Savanna team. This moment marks a milestone for the park as it is the first time this vulnerable zebra species has been born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Weighing in at about 65 pounds, the foal was standing and walking within 30 minutes of birth.
This little one is doing well and bonding backstage with his mom. Much of the time, he is nursing, napping and starting to play and explore his mom’s hay. When he’s ready, he will be introduced in stages to the other zebras and then join the herd as they go out onto the savanna. Be on the lookout for zebra the next time you go on Kilimanjaro Safaris!
Swinging on to other baby news… a male Angolan black-and-white colobus monkey named Douglas was born on Jan. 15 to mom Zahra at Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail. Look up high and you can see this small white fur ball snuggling close to his mom. As he grows up, his color will change to black with white around his face, and on his tail, like the others in his troop.
Douglas is the second of his family to be born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. His sister Alika (on the left) was born in 2018 and likes to preen him while mom looks on.
