Newborn zebra, baby porcupine at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park has two newborn residents, a baby zebra and young porcupine, the latter of which achieved a little prenatal fame through the “One Day at Disney” documentary.
A Hartmann’s Zebra foal was born Saturday to
Heidi, a first-time mother at Animal Kingdom. It’s a long-legged girl, Disney reports, weighing in at 65 pounds. Mother and daughter are bonding backstage and will join the menagerie within the Kilimanjaro Safaris attraction in a few weeks.
“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,” reads a post on the official Disney Parks Blog written by Mark Penning, vice president of animals, science and environment.
Animal Kingdom, as well as the rest of Disney World, is currently closed due to concerns about the spread of the coronavirus.
The foal, which doesn’t have a name yet, was born as part of the Species Survival Plan program, overseen by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Her arrival marks the third zebra birth at Walt Disney World this year.
The arrival of the little zebra comes on the heels of another DAK birth. A baby porcupine was born at the park on Feb. 25. Her mother is Peri.
Newborn porcupines are known as porcupettes, Disney says. (Who says you can’t learn in a quarantine?). The mother and her offspring are living at Animal Kingdom’s Conservation Station.
Peri was seen participating in an ultrasound test with Disney vet Dr. Natalie Mylniczenko in the “One Day at Disney” documentary, which can be viewed on Disney Plus. She’s also made an appearance on
ABC’s “Good Morning America.” Peri’s baby is also part of the Species Survival Plan.