Two Hartmann’s mountain zebra foals have joined the herd at Kilimanjaro Safaris in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra Foals
Dr. Mark Penning, VP of Disney’s Animals, Science & Environment, shared photos of the foals on Instagram, writing, “Double the stripes, double the fun!”
“Two playful Hartmann’s mountain zebra foals, Cricket and Dot, were born to moms Juno and Aziza and have been curiously exploring their new surroundings,” Penning explained.
Each zebra is born with unique stripe patterns, and no two are the same — just like human fingerprints! Dot has a triangle shape on the front of both of her shoulders that resembles an upside-down checkmark, while Cricket has a forked stripe, resembling a wishbone.
The foals joined their dad, Domino, on the savanna after a couple of weeks of bonding with their moms backstage.
Juno and Aziza are both first-time moms. Cricket was born to Juno on May 29, and was named in honor of Pixar’s “A Bug’s Life” as a nod to Juno’s nickname, June Bug.
Dot was born to Aziza on June 4. She was named after the dots of a domino as a reference to her dad, as well as after the young princess in “A Bug’s Life.”
Hartmann’s mountain zebras live in Namibia and Angola, Africa. They are distinguishable from other zebra subspecies by the dewlaps on their necks and lack of stripes on their stomachs. The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies them as vulnerable due to hunting and habitat loss.
Walt Disney World has had several successful animal births recently including Walter the red river hog at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Penny the yellow-backed duiker calf, and twin cotton-top tamarins.
Disney Conservation Fund
Disney Conservation is committed to saving wildlife and building a global community inspired to protect the magic of nature together. Since 1995, Disney Conservation has directed more than $120 million and the expertise of their dedicated teams to support organizations working with communities to save wildlife, inspire action, and protect the planet.
The Disney Conservation Fund is focused on saving wildlife for future generations through grants to leading conservation organizations working together to stabilize and increase the populations of at-risk animals including butterflies, coral reefs, cranes, elephants, gorillas, monkeys, and sea turtles. A Disney conservationist works with each organization to identify where Disney expertise can also play a role in reversing the decline of these animals and their habitats.
What’s your favorite recent animal birth at Walt Disney World? Have you spotted these foals out on the savanna? Let us know in the comments.
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