On your next visit on Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, be on the lookout for Aella (pronounced “eye-la”), a two-month-old Masai giraffe calf. Born on June 29, Aella has been spending her first two months bonding with her mom Lily backstage and has been recently introduced to the savanna.
Aella is the first calf for her parents – mom Lily and dad George, who were chosen to breed through the Species Survival Plan (SSP), which is overseen by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and ensures responsible breeding of threatened and endangered species.
Aella was five feet tall at birth and will continue to nurse for about a year, and then, as a herbivore, she will move onto eating her vegetation diet on the savanna. When she is full grown, she will consume up to 75 pounds of food a day!
The Masai giraffe is a vulnerable species found primarily in Kenya and Tanzania with only approximately 32,000 Masai giraffes left in the wild. The Disney Conservation Fund supports conservation efforts in Africa to protect wildlife habitats, including those of giraffes. In fact, earlier this year, Disney animal care experts went to Uganda to help relocate a herd of giraffes across the Nile River to establish a new and safe habitat away from oil-drilling fields.
To learn more about giraffes and the threats they face in the wild, visit DisneyAnimals.com.
News & Media Source: Disney Parks Blog