There’s a new baby on the way at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and the Animal Care team has some exciting news to share! Alika, a colobus monkey who calls the theme park home, is expecting her very first baby, and we’ve already gotten a little peek at the newest addition to the family!
In a new Instagram reel shared by Animals at Disney, Keeper Kim gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at how the team is caring for Alika throughout her pregnancy. One of the most interesting parts of the video is learning how much trust goes into working with the animals, especially when it comes to something like an ultrasound.
Keeper Kim explains that it’s entirely up to Alika whether she wants to participate in these sessions. Nobody’s making her do anything she doesn’t want to do, which is why building trust with her is so important. I love getting these little behind-the-scenes peeks at how Disney’s Animal Care team works with the animals. There’s so much more to their jobs than most of us ever get to see!
And there was one particular moment during the ultrasound that had Keeper Kim especially excited. They could see the baby’s tail!
If you’re familiar with colobus monkeys, you probably know that their tails are incredibly long. These beautiful black-and-white monkeys are native to Africa, and their long tails are one of their most recognizable features. Getting a glimpse of that tiny, albeit long, tail in the ultrasound images must have been such a fun moment for the Animal Care team!
Colobus monkeys spend much of their time in trees, using their powerful limbs to move through the branches. Their distinctive black-and-white coats make them especially striking to watch, and newborn colobus monkeys have another interesting characteristic: they’re born with mostly white fur that gradually changes as they grow.
Disney hasn’t shared Alika’s due date, but we’ll certainly be keeping an eye out for more updates as her pregnancy progresses.
In the meantime, guests visiting Disney’s Animal Kingdom can look for Alika along Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail, where the colobus monkeys can be seen in their habitat.
I could watch these behind-the-scenes videos from Disney’s Animal Care team all day! It’s so fun seeing how excited the keepers get about the animals they care for, especially when there’s a new baby on the way. I can’t wait to see Alika’s little one, and you know I’ll be keeping an eye out for that birth announcement!
The post Baby Colobus Monkey on the Way at Disney’s Animal Kingdom! first appeared on The DIS.
