Kirana – A Blog About Disney Stuff

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A new baby babirusa has been born in Animal Kingdom!

Her name is Kirana which means “sunbeam” in Indonesian and its the first one born in Animal Kingdom! Her parents are Betty and Mentari, you might have seen them at the park while you enjoyed a ride on the Kilimanjaro Safari during one of your visits to the Walt Disney World Resort.

Babirusas are an endangered specie, part of the hog family, they are native to the swamps and rainforests of the Indonesian Islands, that’s why the Animal Kingdom team gave her the name of Kirana.

Also did you know male babirusas can grow tusks as long as 17 inches that even go through their snout? Their upper ones can actually grow so much that could penetrate their skin curving back towards their forehead and sometimes back into the skull as well.

This “deer-pig” story is another successful one for Disney’s Animal, Science and Environmental Team as part of the Species Survival Plan (SSP) overseen by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. This plan assures responsible breeding for endangered species such as babirusa pigs and hartmann’s mountain zebras!

The birth of this baby babirusa is a great step toward the worldwide conservation and understanding of the species that will help to ensure a future generation for these vulnerable animals.

So next time you are at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, don’t forget to go on the Kilimanjaro Safari and say hi to Kirana!

Until then, you can learn more about animals at Disney here! Hope you enjoy it.

Credit: Disney Parks Blog

From our friends at chipandco.com
Filed Under: DisneyNature, News, Parks & Resorts, Walt Disney World, animal kingdom, baby babirusa, Conservation, DAK, Disney Animals, disney magic moments, disney magic of nature, Disney Nature, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, kirana, WDW

Babirusa piglet

We are squealing with delight! Disney’s Animal Kingdom is celebrating a first for the park: the birth of a babirusa piglet. And, it’s a girl! Our Disney animal care team has chosen to name her Kirana, which translates to “sunbeam” in Indonesian.

Babirusas are part of the hog family, native to the swamps and rainforests of the Indonesian Islands. They’re known for their unique snouts and magnificent tusks that can grow up to almost 17 inches! Close relatives of the babirusa also live at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, such as the warthogs on Kilimanjaro Safaris and the KuneKune pigs at Affection Section.

This birth is another success story for our dedicated team of Disney animal care experts, as parents Betty and Mentari were chosen to breed through the Species Survival Plan (SSP) overseen by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The SSP assures responsible breeding for endangered species, such as the babirusa pigs and Asha, the Hartmann’s Mountain zebra foal recently born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Over the last 15 years, Disney animal care experts partnered with reproductive biologists and the SSP to “crack the code” on breeding a babirusa pair. The piglet is making an important contribution toward the worldwide conservation and understanding of the species, which will help ensure a future generation for these vulnerable animals.

The Disney Conservation Fund has supported projects in Africa for more than 20 years to inspire grassroots conservation and improve livelihoods. These projects can help protect Africa’s amazing wildlife and benefit the hogs – such as babirusas – living in these habitats.

The piglet is healthy and bonding with mom inside their den at the park. To learn more about hogs, visit DisneyAnimals.com.

From our friends at disneyparks.disney.go.com
Filed Under: Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Walt Disney World Resort, WDW