A new baby elephant has debuted at Disney’s Animal Kingdom today. This 312-pound calf named Corra is a two-months old African elephant. In a fun family story, Corra’s mother, Nadirah, was also born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. This makes Corra the first second-generation elephant in Disney Animal Kingdom’s history.
Corra will be no stranger on the savanna and will be surrounded by family. She has aunts Stella and Luna around her along with her grandmother Donna. Corra’s dad, Mac, also lives at the park.
Disney shared about Corra’s birth, Nadirah’s pregnancy, and the people who helped make it all happen in a safe way for both mother and daughter.
Predicting the Big Day
Getting to today was two years in the making. It all started with the animal care team and our endocrinologists noticing Nadirah’s new behaviors and maturity, indicating she might be ready to become a mom. After some hopeful introductions and a successful courtship, a match was made with Mac, leading to the magic of a second-generation calf at Disney’s Animal Kingdom!
Throughout her pregnancy, Nadirah had regular ultrasounds to make sure mom and baby were healthy. The final ultrasound was planned just a few weeks before she gave birth, but unlike ultrasounds you may know from human pregnancies, our veterinarians couldn’t see the entire calf because of Corra’s size and position. Still able to check in on the calf by feeling Nadirah’s belly, veterinarian Dr. Betsy could feel Corra move and even felt a little kick!
Nadirah voluntarily participated in her own care and keepers made sure she was comfortable every step of her pregnancy. That meant getting plenty of healthy and nutritious treats like her favorites, sweet potatoes, carrots and hay during regular checkups and exams.
With the big day in sight, the animal care and endocrinology teams carefully monitored the final stages of Nadirah’s nearly 22-month pregnancy, measuring the calf’s size, weight and mom’s hormones daily. A drop in progesterone levels was a sure sign that Corra’s arrival was close.
The Unsung Heroes Behind Baby Corra
From timing maturity levels and coordinating introductions of mom Nadirah and dad Mac, to observing mating behaviors, monitoring hormonal cycles and the big labor and delivery day – the science behind the birth of a baby animal at Disney is facilitated by an orchestra of unsung heroes who quietly work behind the scenes and go to incredible lengths to ensure the genetic diversity and healthy population of endangered species.
In fact, our animal care team has welcomed a range of endangered and threatened species to Walt Disney World in collaboration with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan. These efforts have helped many species in our care including African elephants, Sumatran tigers, western lowland gorillas, adorable cotton-top tamarins and the elusive okapi to name just a few.
Corra isn’t the only new baby elephant to arrive at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It is also expected that two more baby elephants will be born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in 2025.
The elephants at Disney’s Animal Kingdom are always a highlight of those who are experiencing the Kilimanjaro Safaris. Last December, the Daps Magic team went for a ride through the savannah. Here is video of this trek:
What do you think about this new baby elephant coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom? Are you excited that there are two more baby elephants on the way? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
Mr. Daps is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Daps Magic! Find Mr. Daps regularly at Disneyland with his trilby and bow tie taking pictures and simply enjoying the Happiest Place on Earth. He is the weekly host of GEEKS CORNER and your reporter for all that Disney And Positive Stuff. Find videos of all of that one the Daps Magic YouTube channel. Mr. Daps is also a Brand Ambassador with Her Universe! Find Mr. Daps on Twitter,Instagram, and Threads! If you see Mr. Daps in the parks, be sure and say hi!
