The Animal kingdom family has grown a little bit within the past month. Disney announced that on May 1st, there was the birth of a baby gorilla, Grace, at Animal Kingdom! Kashata (mother) and Gino (father) welcomed a baby girl and the entire family has been doing well. Prior to birth, Disney had provided a gift box filled with treats to Mom Kashata to reveal the baby’s gender prior to birth. If you would like to see them, they are bonding in the Gorilla area at Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail. This is near the Animal Kingdom Kilimanjaro Safari and Rafiki Planet Watch.
Grace’s parents were chosen to breed through the SSP (Species Survival plan) which is monitored by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. This protects responsible breeding of significantly endangered species. This ensures that there are genetically diverse and healthy populations. According to Disney, Grace’s name came from the GRACE gorilla sanctuary. Moreover, the gorilla sanctuary is located in the Democratic Republic of Congo and helps with the care of gorillas that have been orphaned by poaching. This has been a partnership between Animal experts from Disney’s Animal Kingdom and GRACE. Additionally, the Animal experts have spent more than 10 years helping rehabilitate gorillas with GRACE and the local community there.
Take time to see Grace
When we were there last week, we were able to see kashata and baby Grace along the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail. It is wonderful to be able to see their bonding up close. Moreover, We were able to fairly close to see baby Grace, as well as the entire troop. This is a great viewing opportunity for the entire family if you are able to go. I was incredibly excited to be able to see the baby gorilla at Animal Kingdom. This is not the only birth at Animal Kingdom recently with the birth of a baby giraffe. Overall, Animal Kingdom has been an amazing place to see the birth of several animals and learn about conservation.
Have you seen Grace yet? What animals would you like to see at Animal Kingdom