Three New Baby Rhinos Make Their First Appearance On Kilimanjaro Safaris!

One of the best things of Animal Kingdom is being able to go on the Kilimanjaro Safaris and see adorable animals like the baby rhinos!

Guests who visited the savanna a week ago were able to witness a moment in history, Ranger, Mylo and Logan together for the first time at the Kilimanjaro Safaris! What a great day to visit for sure.

Related – Four-month-old Mylo made his savanna debut

Here is a video of Logan at Disney’s Animal Kingdom!

In case you don’t remember, Ranger was the first rhino to be born in Walt Disney World in five years! He was welcomed to Animal Kingdom on October 2020, a year later in September 2021 his brother Mylo was born and Logan joined the herd in November 2021. These successful births are a major achievement for the animal care team and the rhino population in general since these three cute babies have allowed the team to learn more about them and share that knowledge to benefit rhinos worldwide.

Related – First look at newest Baby Rhino Calf born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

But bringing these three rhinos to the savanna is not easy, in fact, a big team of scientists, veterinarians, animal keepers and many other cast members are needed in order to achieve this. It is a long process that takes the Animals, Science and Environment team a long time to do, just take a look at what this process includes:

• Selection through the Species Survival Plan: The process begins with lots of planning and logistical preparation. Many factors influence the pairing of rhinos through the Species Survival Plan overseen by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to ensure the responsible breeding of endangered and threatened species in managed care. The genetic diversity of the rhinos selected is one of the most important factors, and pairing genetically unrelated individuals helps ensure a healthy animal population for generations. 

• Animal Nutrition: Our team of animal nutritionists monitor the diets of all animals in our care to ensure they receive the nutrients they need. Once the rhinos are paired, their diets can be further adjusted as needed for pregnancy, lactation and growth.

• Endocrinology: Before any introductions are made, our team of animal endocrinologists monitor specific hormone patterns that change after ovulation and throughout the rhinos’ pregnancy. This tracking is possible because the rhinos are trained to voluntarily participate in their own care, allowing our team to collect blood samples and feces to monitor hormones related to ovulation and pregnancy. Once the appropriate timing is determined, breeding can begin through a carefully controlled process. 

• Veterinary Care: Our animal health team works with endocrinologists and animal keepers to monitor the animals throughout their long pregnancies. Quick fact – rhinos have one of the longest gestation periods of any animal! During this approximately 16 to 18 months, the health of the mom and baby are monitored through regular checkups and ultrasounds. Through these ultrasounds, the team was able to watch Logan grow from a ball of cells to the 160 pounds she weighed at birth.

• Animal Care and Training: Through training sessions, our animal care experts work with each mom individually to participate in regular checkups throughout her pregnancy. This helps ensure the health of mom and baby. Once the rhino calf is born, mom and baby will spend months backstage bonding. During this crucial time, the keepers will ensure the calf is nursing and growing. This time also allows keepers to focus on each animal and teach important training behaviors so the baby rhino is set up for success and social life on the savanna. Once the calf is ready, keepers work with the rhino calves to slowly introduce them to the rhino crash and the many other animals on the savanna.

• Rhino Conservation: White rhinos are a very social species, and they’re constantly learning from each other. Just as they pass along important behaviors like sparring and wallowing in the mud, with each successful rhino birth our team is able to better understand and share vital information on the many dynamics of rhino fertility. These learning experiences lead to an even higher quality of care for this special species and can be put into practice to help future rhinos born in managed care as well as their counterparts found in their range countries.

Big process right? We are so thankful for the animal care team and can’t wait to go back to the Kilimanjaro Safaris and say hello to Ranger, Mylo and Logan!

Credit: Disney Parks Blog

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