Disney's Animal Kingdom Welcomes First Baby African Elephant in 7 Years

A significant event occurred at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Florida on Saturday when it was announced that an African elephant calf was born at the park for the first time in seven years. The newborn, a baby girl named Corra, weighed 218 pounds at birth and is currently bonding with her mother, Nadirah, backstage, as stated by Scott Terrell, the director of animal and science Operations for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Worldwide, in a blog post.

Disney described the arrival of Corra, Nadirah's first calf, as "especially meaningful" because Nadirah herself was born at Disney's Animal Kingdom in 2005, making Corra the park's first second-generation calf. Nadirah conceived naturally in early 2022 and received attentive care from Disney's animal care team throughout her entire 22-month pregnancy, according to park officials.

At Disney, the births of African elephants are carefully planned through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan. This program is dedicated to ensuring the responsible breeding of endangered animals in managed care, as stated in the blog post.

African painted dogs Pele and Guy with a new pup at the Oklahoma City Zoo.

Jennifer D'Agostino/Oklahoma City Zoo

Endangered African painted dog pups born at Oklahoma City Zoo

African elephants can weigh up to six tons and are the largest land animals on Earth, according to the World Wildlife Fund.

Park officials said Nadirah had help and guidance from her sister Luna throughout the process.

Corra will soon meet her grandmother Donna, and her other aunt, Stella, Disney announced.

Baby and mom will spend several days bonding before joining the herd, and the parks veterinary team will also monitor the pair to ensure they are nursing and gaining weight, the park said.