Endangered baby African elephant born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Dumbo isn’t the only adorable young elephant you’ll find at Disney World: staff at Disney’s Animal Kingdom are celebrating the recent arrival of a baby African elephant, who recently made her debut at the park.

Now this adorable elephant is bringing joy to visitors, and is a sign of hope for an endangered species.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom (photographer Bennett Stoops)

You may have visited Animal Kingdom during a trip to Disney World in Orlando, but it’s not just a theme park, it’s an AZA-accredited facility and home to many vulnerable and endangered species, including herds of African elephants.

Their elephant population grew by one recently with the arrival of Corra, who was born in December to mother Nadirah and dad Mac. While still a baby, she’s growing fast at three feet tall and 312 pounds.

Nadirah was also born at Animal Kingdom, which makes Corra the first second-generation elephant in Animal Kingdom’s history, according to a press release from the park.

The African elephant is currently considered endangered and critically endangered by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Populations in the wild have been severely hurt by illegal poaching. Their rarity means that each new birth is crucially important, and the park says Corra’s arrival is a reminder of the important conservation work they do.

“With this birth, and every birth, we are sustaining a healthy population of elephants to help protect the species and share their story with millions of guests from around the world,” said Scott Terrell, D.V.M. Director of Animal & Science Operations for Disney Experiences.

Corra’s arrival was a long time coming: elephants have the longest gestation period of any mammals, and Nadirah’s went on for 22 months. The park’s keepers kept a close eye on her health during this period, performing ultrasounds and monitoring the development of her calf.

Two months after her long-awaited arrival, Corra made her debut at Animal Kingdom, no doubt to the delight of many Disney park visitors.

The park says that Corra will have many role models to learn from: in addition to mom Nadirah, her herd includes her aunt Luna, grandmother Donna, and older sister Stella, who before Corra’s arrival was the safari’s youngest elephant, born in 2016.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom collaborates with the Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ Species Survival Plans. In addition to the African elephant, the participate in the sustainability of other species including the Sumatran tiger, the western lowland gorilla and the okapi.

Corra’s arrival is a momentous occasion for their efforts to save the species, and there is more good news on the horizon: Disney says that two more baby elephants are expected to be born at Animal Kingdom in 2025.