Every once in a while, Disney Parks at Walt Disney World announce the cutest things. This time I mean the announcement of a new member of the Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park safari family! In recent years, those that subscribe to Disney+ were able to follow along with the animals during the docu-series “Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.” This series allowed behind the scenes looks of the care and play of the animals found not only at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park but also inside The Seas with Nemo and Friends.
Recently, Disney Parks has announced that a new member of the Okapi family has made an appearance inside Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park at Kilimanjaro Safaris. The Okapi species has not seen a birth at the park since 2012, and is the 14th Okapi birth at the park. While the species is still endangered, this is a true miracle at the parks.
The name of this beautiful little creature is Elijah, and he was born in October 2023 weighing in at just 65 pounds. He is now a whopping 165 pounds and can be found on the trails at Gorilla Falls Exploration Trails, right next to the Kilimanjaro Safari. While okapis do look like a mixture of a horse and zebra, they are actually closely related to the giraffe species.
How did little Elijah get his name? He was named after a Disney Cast Member that has dedicated 50 years to the parks. Elijah, the cast member, began working at Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park in June 1973 and then transferred to a position in horticulture once Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park debuted in 1998. Disney Parks Blog states “his passion and dedication to his role has made him a cherished cast member, and what better way to honor him than to name a rare okapi after him?” I couldn’t agree more! There is so much time and effort that goes into making Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park look flawless, and it wouldn’t be the same without those dedicate cast members.
Is Kilimanjaro Safari and Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail a must do or pass for your family? Either way, let’s get your next Disney World family vacation on the books! Reach out to Marvelous Mouse Travels today!
