Even though Walt Disney World in Florida is currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the animals are still hanging out at Disney’s Animal Kingdom — and there are a couple of new adorable additions. Today, Dr. Mark Penning, the vice president of animals, science, and environment at Disney Parks, announced on the company's blog that a baby zebra was born on March 21. The post came just a day after Dr. Penning broke the news that a baby porcupine was born last month.

The Hartmann’s zebra foal was the third zebra to be born at Disney World this year, and according to the blog post, the baby girl is “already very active and curious.” After the foal and her mother, Heidi, bond for a few weeks, they’ll go onto the Kilimanjaro Safaris savannah.



© Provided by Travel + Leisure Courtesy of Disney

© Provided by Travel + Leisure A baby porcupine born at Disney's Animal Kingdom

The porcupette (the adorable term for a baby porcupine) was born on Feb. 25, and after DNA testing one of its quills, they found out that it’s a girl. You might recognize her mom, Peri, the prehensile-tailed porcupine, from her ultrasound with Dr. Natalie, featured in One Day at Disney on Disney+. The porcupette is in good health, and she looks fuzzy and adorable in photos released this week.

© Provided by Travel + Leisure Courtesy of Disney

According to the post, “there are plenty of big hearts caring for this little mother-daughter duo. Peri continues to thrive in her role as a mother.” Both the zebra and porcupine were bred as part of the Species Survival Plan from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. This program “ensures responsible breeding and genetic diversity of thousands of species of animals,” according to the blog post.

While the parks are closed, these new additions and all the other animals at Walt Disney World are receiving continued care from the Disney Animal Care team. The team is following all state and federal guidelines as they work to give the animals the best care. Life is continuing as normal for the giraffes, zebras, and other animals that roam the grounds at Animal Kingdom. Staff is making sure the animals are fed and their habitats are cleaned, in addition to monitoring behavior and ensuring that they’re all having a great time until the guests can return to the parks.



The Disney Animal Care team and Dr. Penning will continue to provide educational and adorable animal updates on the blog during the park’s temporary closure. You can also follow Dr. Penning on Instagram for more animal photos and park information.