Slonic recently made a grand entrance into Walt Disney World!
The newborn, named Corra, is the first African elephant calf born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in seven years, according to a blog post written by Scott Terrell, director of animal and science operations at Walt Disney Parks.
The mammal was born on December 13, Disney Parks shared TikTok announced.
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Corra’s mom, Nadirah, was also born at Animal Kingdom eight years ago, making Corra not only her first baby, but also the first second-generation calf born at the Orlando, Florida, theme park, according to Terrell.
After a 22-month pregnancy, Nadirah and her 218-pound calf are already bonding and will continue to do so for several days, before joining the rest of the herd at the park, the director said.
For Nadirah, who became pregnant in early 2022, raising Corra won’t be a solo act, Terrell adds.
In fact, as soon as she went into labor, caring for the newborn became a family affair, as the first mother’s sister, Luna, helped guide her through the labor.
Corra will soon meet the rest of her family – her grandmother Donna and her second aunt Stella – the blog post says.
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According to Terrell, “it is common for the adult females in the herd to help raise the young elephants until they are considered independent, usually around 8 years of age.”
“Which means those family ties will only get stronger as the calf gets older,” he added.
The director also said that the newborn has so far “brought a lot of joy” to her Disney family, namely the theme park’s animal care team.
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An elephant born in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Olga Thompson/Walt Disney World
In the Animal Kingdom, the birth of African elephants – listed as a “critically endangered” species by the World Wide Fund for Nature – is given special attention.
Terrell said they were “carefully planned through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan,” a program that “helps ensure the responsible breeding of endangered animals in managed care.”
Careful care continues after birth, with regular postnatal check-ups for both mother and daughter, as well as close monitoring — to ensure things like “successful breastfeeding and weight gain” during their bonding period, according to the blog post.
And while Corra’s birth alone marked an important milestone at the park, the director promises that park staff will continue to share her personal milestones, as well as sweet moments between the newborn and her mother.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education