Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge is celebrating the birth of a rare okapi, with numbers of only 20,000 in the world.
The calf was born on October 1 to mom Zelda and dad Mandazi - both chosen to breed through the Species Survival Plan, overseen by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Weighing in at 54 pounds, animal care experts report that the calf was up and mobile within the first hour of his birth. He has been nursing and bonding with his mom. The pair will remain in a backstage habitat for the next few months before joining the animals on the savanna.
The calf’s parents – mom Zelda and dad Mandazi – were chosen to breed through the Species Survival Plan (SSP), which is overseen by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and ensures responsible breeding of threatened and endangered species.
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