It's a boy! Baby zebra born at Disney's Animal Kingdom
ORLANDO, Fla. - The zebra herd at Disney's Animal Kingdom just welcomed an adorable addition to the family.
Guests riding Kilimanjaro Safaris on Monday got to witness the birth of a Hartmann’s mountain zebra foal that was born on the savanna. It's the first zebra born at Walt Disney World this year.
"Estimated to weigh about 65 pounds, the healthy baby boy has long legs and was standing and nuzzling with mom within minutes of birth," Disney Parks Blog reports.
MORE NEWS: Dog lost near alligator-filled Florida swamps found alive after 9 days
The yet-to-be-named zebra was born to mom Heidi and the two are bonding nicely.
Courtesy: Disney Parks Blog
"Bonding is especially important, as a young zebra will imprint on its mother’s scent and memorize the unique markings on its mother’s hind legs to tell her apart from others in the herd."
The pair will rejoin sister Asha and the rest of the herd on the savanna in the coming weeks.
The foal was born as part of the Species Survival Plan program which helps ensure responsible breeding and genetic diversity of hundreds of animal species.
Courtesy: Disney Parks Blog
According to Disney Parks Blog, Walt Disney World is home to three distinct types of zebra: Hartmann’s mountain zebra, Grevy’s zebra and plains zebra.
TRENDING: Viral video shows 70-pound dog being picked up, swirled around by possible dust devil
"Though zebra may all be defined by their stripes, there are distinct stripe patterns that define each type. Hartmann’s mountain and Grevy’s zebras have stripes that stop right at the edge of their bellies, while stripes on common zebras wrap around the whole body. You can tell a Grevy’s zebra from a Hartmann’s mountain zebra by looking at their ears. They are larger on the Grevy’s zebra."
Watch FOX 35 News for the latest theme park updates.