FOUR Zebras Have Been Born at Disney World This Summer!
Disney World is more than just a place for roller coasters and meeting Mickey, it’s also where you can see animals from all over the world. Animal Kingdom, Animal Kingdom Lodge, and EPCOT are all home to a vast array of animals cared for by Disney’s experts!
Disney works toward conservation with animal programs that help protect endangered species and keep healthy ones thriving. And, we have some great news in terms of animal conservation at Disney World!
Four Baby Zebras Born in Disney World
There have been FOUR zebras born at Disney World this summer! They’re all Hartmann’s mountain zebras and Disney just shared all about them.
Disney World has three different types of zebras — Hartmann’s mountain zebra, Grevy’s zebra, and the plains zebra. All of them have their own individually unique stripes! As for Hartmann’s mountain zebras, you can find them on slopes and plateaus in mountainous areas in sub-Saharan Africa.
![Baby Zebras Animal Kingdom](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Baby-Zebras-Animal-Kingdom-1.jpg)
![Baby Zebras Animal Kingdom](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Baby-Zebras-Animal-Kingdom-1.jpg)
Photo: Disney
The first baby that arrived this summer was Penne, who arrived on June 13th at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. She weighed almost 100 pounds and got up on her feet soon after birth!
Her mom is Heidi, who had her first foal, Asha, back in 2020. Right now, you can see Penne and Heidi out on the savanna.
![Baby Zebras Animal Kingdom](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Baby-Zebras-Animal-Kingdom-2.jpg)
![Baby Zebras Animal Kingdom](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Baby-Zebras-Animal-Kingdom-2.jpg)
Photo: Disney
What’s even more exciting is that Asha actually just became a mother of her own! She gave birth to a baby boy on July 8th, who was up and ready to go by breakfast time! Within an hour of birth, zebra foals are actually ready to run, which is just incredible.
Asha’s baby has a unique dash/horizontal stripe near his front leg. This is cool because his grandma, Heidi, also has this unique pattern!
So, now that Asha is a mother of her own, there are three generations of Hartmann’s mountain zebras out on the savanna at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge — so cool!
![Baby Zebras Animal Kingdom](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Baby-Zebras-Animal-Kingdom-4.jpg)
![Baby Zebras Animal Kingdom](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Baby-Zebras-Animal-Kingdom-4.jpg)
Photo: Disney
Next up, we have second-time mom Juno, who recently gave birth to her baby girl, Cada, at Animal Kingdom. Cada actually has a one-of-a-kind white marking within one of the black stripes on her back legs!
Cada has been vocalizing and zooming around alongside her mom and big sister Cricket, who was born back in 2023.
Zebras use vocalizations, facial expressions, and body language to express themselves, just like humans! Ears that are straight and upright mean a friendly, confident zebra, while ears that are pulled back mean the zebra is disturbed or uncertain. Ears leaning forward show they’re paying close attention to something!
![Baby Zebras Animal Kingdom](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Baby-Zebras-Animal-Kingdom-3.jpg)
![Baby Zebras Animal Kingdom](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Baby-Zebras-Animal-Kingdom-3.jpg)
Photo: Disney
Finally, we have the most recent baby! Second-time mom Aziza delivered a tall baby boy at Animal Kingdom on July 16th. Mom and baby are bonding backstage right now before they will be out on the Harambe Wildlife Reserve.
Aziza is an experienced mother — she gave birth to baby Dot last year!
![Baby Zebras Animal Kingdom](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Baby-Zebras-Animal-Kingdom-5.jpg)
![Baby Zebras Animal Kingdom](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Baby-Zebras-Animal-Kingdom-5.jpg)
Photo: Disney
These new arrivals are very important as Hartmann’s mountain zebras are currently listed as a vulnerable species due to habitat loss and hunting. The births were successful thanks to the Species Survival Plan, overseen by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, that ensures responsible breeding and genetic diversity of hundreds of animal species.
So, these four new cuties have joined over 5,000 animals that are being cared for at Disney World! We can’t wait to see them all out and about.
![zebra foal](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-wdw-dak-animal-kingdom-hartmanns-mountain-zebra-foal-baby2-1024x1010.jpg)
![zebra foal](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-wdw-dak-animal-kingdom-hartmanns-mountain-zebra-foal-baby2-1024x1010.jpg)
Photo: @drmarkatdisney on Instagram
Stay tuned for more Disney World news and updates!