LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., August 1st, 2010 – The elephant herd at Disney’s Animal Kingdom just expanded – by about 288 pounds. That amount represents the weight of the newborn female calf born late last night.

Twenty-two-year-old Donna gave birth to the herd’s fifth offspring after gaining more than 400 pounds during a 22-month gestation. This latest addition, which has yet to be named, is the second calf for Donna, which gave birth to a female calf, Nadirah, in 2005. This birth raises the number of elephants in the Disney’s Animal Kingdom herd to thirteen, including five males and eight females.

“Elephant births are among the most amazing and complicated processes in the animal kingdom,” according to Jackie Ogden, Ph.D., vice president of Disney’s Animal Programs. “A team of dedicated animal professionals have worked with the expecting mother attentively throughout the course of her pregnancy. At this point, we’re optimistic for the calf’s likelihood of survival and are thrilled that both Donna and her calf are doing well.”

With assistance from the animal care team, the newborn, whose first tentative steps are becoming stronger and more confident, is now successfully nursing from her mother. Donna has been getting to know her calf, gently touching the young animal with her trunk. The next critical milestone is for the calf to continue the bonding process with her mother who will teach her important lessons and protect her as she is introduced to the rest of the savannah herd in several weeks.

Donna became pregnant through artificial insemination in July 2008 and received extensive pre-natal care throughout her pregnancy. Zookeepers added more exercises to her daily routine, hoping to strengthen the muscles needed during the birthing process. In addition to regular ultrasounds, veterinarians and elephant managers monitored her hormone levels on a daily basis to help them determine when she would give birth. Labor appeared imminent last night and the animal care team remained with her to provide round-the-clock care until the female calf was born May 20 around 11:30 p.m.

This is the fifth elephant born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. In addition to Donna’s first female calf, Nadirah, Tufani, a male, was born in 2003; Kianga, a female, was born in 2004; and Tsavo, the youngest male, joined the herd in 2008. All remain on the savannah at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Disney has been at the forefront of efforts to better understand and care for endangered elephants. Disney’s Animal Kingdom is part of a breeding program coordinated by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) that is focused on sustaining the elephant population in North America. AZA’s Elephant Species Survival Plan has called for a five-fold increase in African elephant reproduction efforts - using both natural and artificial breeding methods - in order to create a self-sustaining elephant population among North American zoos and wildlife centers

Baby Elephant Facts

· Depending on the calf, it could take several days for the calf to coordinate trunk movements. Initially, it may only be able to wave it in the air, suck on it or trip over it. Typically within a week the calf has gained enough control to begin picking up small objects and food.

· Suckling up to 12 liters a day, baby elephants may depend on mother’s milk for up to three years, although they can be weaned at two years of age.

· By the time a calf is nine months old, 40 per cent of its diet is vegetation. The calf learns how and what to eat by watching the older elephants.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., March 1, 2010 — Guests visiting Disney’s Animal Kingdom are getting a special treat along the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail where they can get a rare glimpse of a newborn gorilla born Feb. 19. The critically endangered western lowland gorilla, whose gender is still unknown, is doing well and has already become an integral member of the gorilla family group which includes first-time mother, Kashata, father Gino, and two other females, Benga and Hope.

Members of the primate team at Disney’s Animal Kingdom are encouraged by Kashata’s natural instincts at motherhood. First-time mothers often experience difficulty knowing the right things to do. They must learn to properly hold the baby and adapt to a demanding nursing schedule. “Kashata has been a model mother from the moment the baby was born, said Matt Hohne, animal operations director for Disney’s Animal Programs. “She immediately knew how to properly hold the baby and her nursing skills have been exemplary.”

Since Kashata has been holding the baby close to her body, animal keepers have yet to determine the baby’s gender. Most gorilla mothers keep their offspring close for several months while the baby adjusts to the environment. In addition, gorilla babies typically nurse for approximately 12 months and may be weaned between the ages of four and five.

The new baby, which is yet to be named, is the third gorilla born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan which manages genetic diversity among species through detailed records of individual animals. Disney’s Animal Kingdom also participates in AZA Species Survival Plans for several other animals, including elephants, cotton-top tamarins and okapi. The first gorilla birth occurred in 1997 before Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened, and the second baby arrived in 1999.

Aside from breeding activities, Disney’s Animal Programs team remains active in gorilla conservation in other areas. The team currently:

· provides staff expertise for the creation of the first rescue and rehabilitation center in eastern Africa for orphaned gorillas to ultimately reintroduce them back into the wild. The Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund has provided funding to support this effort.
· has developed an innovative training technique that enables team members to monitor the heart health of gorillas at Disney’s Animal Kingdom by administering cardiac ultrasound exams on fully alert gorillas.

GORILLA FACTS:
· Gorillas are the largest of all primates, standing 5-6 feet tall and weighing up to 450 lbs.
· In the wild, western lowland gorillas are found in lowland tropical rainforests throughout western Africa.
· Gorilla habitat in Africa is quickly disappearing because of coltan mining, a mineral used to make batteries for electronics. Recycling cell phones or laptops may contribute to gorilla conservation.

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Bonsu the giraffe is a year old this week. As the 11th giraffe ever to be born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the cute “toddler” marks another success in Disney’s animal conversation efforts. Bonsu was the fourth male giraffe to be born at the Animal Kingdom. He weighed in at 155 pounds and was 6 feet tall at birth. 2008, the year he was born, saw the arrival of three other giraffes to the Animal Kingdom family. Bonsu isn’t the only big name in the Animal Kingdom playground.

Back in 2006, Nande and Hasani, two African white rhinos, were born at the Animal Kingdom and sent to Africa to help reestablish the population of African white rhinos. Disney helped raise over 0,000 toward helping the rhinos in Africa. They’ve also had three African elephants born in captivity. All of these cute additions to the family highlight Disney’s efforts to help save animals and the environment.

Animal Kingdom’s 500 acres holds 1,700 animals of 250 different species, 33 of them endangered and threatened. But that’s not the only park in the Disney family taking part in the conservation effort. Epcot is also a big player when it comes to helping save the animals. If you’ve ever been to “The Seas,” Epcot’s ocean-themed area, you will get to see beautiful sea creatures including plenty of sea turtles. Epcot has rescued and nursed 200 sick sea turtles and often takes place in animal rescue efforts after hurricanes that affect the Florida area.

Both Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Epcot are accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Not only do cast members guide guests around these exhibits, Disney also employs veterinary teams, scientists and animal care teams that help take care of these animals. These teams are also the people you see telling you about the very creatures you’re taking pictures of when you visit Animal Kingdom and Epcot. If it weren’t for this great team, Bonsu, Nande and Hasani wouldn’t be where they are today and there would be plenty more animals still in danger. But thanks to the conservation efforts of the Walt Disney Company, we can worry a little less about baby Bonsu and other members of the animal world.

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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Fans of Jiko - The Cooking Place and Boma-Flavors of Africa have a new reason to dine at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge as Sanaa debuts May 1 in the resort’s new Kidani Village expansion.

(Editor’s Note: Disney previously released photographs of many of Sanaa’s new dishes, which you can find in the Disney News Blog HERE.)

The new Walt Disney World restaurant’s unusual name, pronounced “Sah-NAH,” is the Swahili word for “artwork.” With interiors inspired by African art and remarkable views of the resort’s Sunset Savannah through 9-foot windows, diners experience “the art of African cooking with Indian flavors” in the 150-seat, family-oriented restaurant located on the ground floor just below the lobby.

Sanaa’s cuisine is a melting pot of tastes from the islands of the Indian Ocean that all are part of Africa – Zanzibar, the Seychelles, Comoro Islands, Mauritius and Madagascar. “These islands were on important trade routes with influences from French, Portuguese, Dutch, British, Arab and Chinese traders,” said Chef Bob Getchell. “The diverse spices and flavors give us an endless array of options for Sanaa.”

The most indelible mark on the cuisine of the region was made by Indian traders who introduced curries, spice blends and breads. Central to African-Indian cuisine is the use of the tandoor oven, essentially a large clay pot similar to a pizza oven. The tandoor provides very high, dry heat that creates a crisp outer layer and moist interior. Along with meats, a favorite tandoor oven treat is the Indian bread naan, which is slapped directly onto the oven’s clay walls and allowed to bake until puffy and lightly browned. The Sanaa kitchen will have two custom tandoor ovens.

Specialties include tandoori chicken, lamb and shrimp, slow-cooked curries, and braised short ribs. “Don’t think of curry as spicy,” said Chef Getchell, “but as a centuries-old cooking method that allows flavors to fully develop in the meats, vegetables, and sauces.” The base blend of seasonings for Sanaa’s curries include cardamom, chiles, cinnamon, cloves, saffron, coriander, nutmeg, fennel seed, cumin, tamarind, turmeric and more. The turmeric is what gives many curry dishes their characteristic yellow color.

Appetizers such as lamb kefta with tamarind-dried papaya sauce, and unusual salads like okra, radishes and tomato, roasted beets, and carrot, orange and mint start the dining experience.

Entrees include the tandoori-roasted meats, curries, and sides such as dahl (stewed lentils), curried crushed potatoes, stir-fried green beans and slow-cooked spinach and paneer (a mild South Asian cheese). Indian style flatbreads including naan, roti, and paratha are paired with chutneys, Indian style pickles and raita (yogurt-based dip).

For guests who prefer more American flavors, there is a grilled pork chop and club sandwich at lunch, and grilled flank steak at dinner.

Sweets are the final adventure, including mango pudding, cardamom-butter cake, papaya with sea salt and lime and vanilla-coconut rice pudding.

The restaurant is open from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. and from 5-9 p.m. An adjacent 24-seat lounge serves African wines, beer and spirits. For reservations, call 407/WDW-DINE.

Kidani Village at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is part of Disney Vacation Club.

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