Disney’s Animal Kingdom welcomes baby gorilla and hippopotamus born one day apart

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Gray News) - Disney’s Animal Kingdom welcomed two new baby animals this week just a day apart.

A Nile hippopotamus calf was born Monday and a western lowland gorilla was born on Tuesday, the company said in a release.

Both newborn animals are healthy and under the supervision of Disney’s animal care team.

The baby gorilla can be seen onstage at the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail. The baby gorilla’s parents, Azizi and Gino, are also parents to the newborn’s big brother, Cory, who was born in 2014.

The hippopotamus calf was born at the Safi River on Kilimanjaro Safaris, joining nine other hippos in the family, including its parents, Tuma and Henry.

Disney’s animal care team is giving the newborns and mothers time to bond before sharing the newborns sex and weight.

Both sets of parents were paired through the Species Survival Plan, a program overseen by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

The plan ensures responsible breeding of vulnerable or critically endangered species, including Nile Hippopotamuses and western lowland gorillas, to help create healthy, genetically diverse populations for years to come.

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