Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge has a new baby addax — a critically endangered species — on the Sunset Savanna.
Baby Addax at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
Two-month-old Julien has joined the resort’s addax herd. The baby stands just over two feet tall. He was born to mom Juniper and dad Allen, and his name is an ode to them. Julien is the first male calf born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Scott Terrell, Director of Animal & Science Operations for Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, wrote about the newborn for Disney Parks Blog.
At Disney, every animal birth is important but there’s something extra special about an odds-defying, critically endangered baby addax we welcomed just in time for Mother’s Day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge!
Addax is a species of antelope known for the curly horns that calves are born with. They face possible extinction with less than 100 in the wild and just over 180 in managed care across organizations accredited by the Associations of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). There are just 21 AZA-accredited institutions with addax.
Walt Disney World follows AZA Species Survival Plans, welcoming a variety of newborn animals. Terrell writes that Julien’s birth “is just one example of many that exemplifies the success of our continued work to breed at-risk animals.”
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