Here at WDWNT, we love seeing when new babies make their way into Animal Kingdom. You might remember how excited we all were with Jabari’s birth right on the Kilimanjaro Safari savanna earlier this year. We’re excited to announce a brand new member of the Animal Kingdom family, who was born on May 1st. Meet Grace!

Mother Kashata gave birth to baby Grace on Wednesday morning and are currently settling in nicely onstage at Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail with the rest of the family. The entire family even joined in the celebration of the new baby’s arrival with a special enrichment tactic to reveal the baby’s gender.

Grace was named after the GRACE gorilla sanctuary in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is dedicated to helping gorillas orphaned by poaching. The animal care experts at Animal Kingdom have spent more than 10 years helping the GRACE team and local community rehabilitate orphan gorillas and protect the species in the wild.

Kashata and the baby’s father, Gino, were chosen to breed through the Species Survival Plan (SSP). The program is overseen by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and ensures responsible breeding of critically endangered species, such as western lowland gorillas, so they will have healthy, genetically diverse populations for years to come.

Guests can help celebrate Grace’s arrival by visiting Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail and possibly catching a sight of Kashata and Grace bonding with their family. Photo opportunities and specialty cupcakes are available to purchase at Tamu Tamu Refreshments as well.

We can’t wait to see Grace in person! Are you excited to see more additions to the Animal Kingdom family? Let us know in the comments!