Disney Tips Your Guide To A Great Disney Vacation
Who doesn’t love baby animals? Today, we are excited to share the news that an Okapi birth just took place at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge ahead of World Okapi Day on October 18.
This adorable little one will be out for Guests to see as you visit this iconic Disney Resort soon, but for now, he’s bounding with mom and we’ve got the photos and video you have to see!
Credit: Disney
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The Disney Parks Blog shared that Beni the okapi was born this July at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge to mom Olivia. As of this writing, the family is spending their time backstage in Disney’s top-notch facilities where they are able to take their time bonding and nursing, however, when they are ready they will be visible to Guests on the Resort’s savanna.
This recent birth marks the 12th okapi born at Walt Disney World in total, and the fifth at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge specifically. The first okapi calf born at the Resort can be spotted in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, where since 2018 he has grown to just under 100 pounds and three ft. in height. When fully grown, okapis can weight up to 650 pounds and stand between five and six ft. tall.
Curious about Beni’s name? The Resort’s youngest Okapi calf is named for the town in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the only country where endangered okapis are still found in the wild. Programs like the Species Survival Plan, which is what Disney’s animal team uses in collaboration with the AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) seek in increase the numbers of endangered species in the wild, and to raise awareness and education on the importance of conservation for these incredible animals.
In addition to the savanna at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, okapis can also be spotted in the theme park near the beginning of Kilimanjaro Safaris, where your guide will likely explain that they are known as the “ghosts of the forest,” for their ability to stay hidden from predators.
Credit: Disney
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Unfortunately, okapi numbers in the wild continue to decline, with an estimated 20,000 remaining total in the wild as the result of both poaching and habitat loss.
You can help support conservation efforts for these amazing animals during your Disney vacation with the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund. The fund recently celebrated the Okapi Conservation Project’s agroforestry team by giving the group the Disney Conservation Hero award for their work toward saving wildlife.
Disney’s fund is a great way to support these initiatives since the company matched all donations and covers all overhead costs. And supporting the fund can be as easy as rounding up your change at any quick-service restaurant or merchandise location in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Animal Kingdom Lodge, or the Land and Seas With Nemo and Friends pavilions in EPCOT.
