Ivy the baby Masai giraffe can now be seen by guests on Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. WDWNT was invited to witness the calf’s first steps on the savanna Thursday morning, June 11. She was born in April to mom Willow. Disney later announced her name was Ivy.

Ivy the Masai Giraffe

During our visit, we learned she is still quite shy and perhaps was a bit nervous during her debut. She is a momma’s girl and never strayed too far from her mother during our time on the savanna. When asked what makes Ivy unique, the Cast Member said she is not as outgoing as her half-brother Tucker, so it’s neat to see the difference between the two animals.

It’s what makes her first steps out onto the savannah so special—knowing how shy she is and how close to her mother she is. “Those first steps onto the big open world, it’s super exciting and watching her from literally being born to now, it’s only been two months, but she’s just already grown so much, so it’s exciting to see her come out there for the first time.”

She is still drinking her mom’s milk, but her care team has provided some smaller buckets of grain that she is welcome to nibble from and get used to. The branches of trees she can sample from are also hanging low enough since she’s not quite tall enough yet to reach some of the taller ones.

The care team looked for specific behavior to help determine when she was ready to join everyone on the savanna. Specifically, they want to ensure she is following her mom around and sticking close by when moving to different areas. This is called shifting. Since she is still nursing, they are still bonded quite well. Ivy also spent a lot of time with other giraffes inside the barn and she was comfortable enough with them in there, so she was ready to take the next step to the savanna.

The process also involved training Willow, so Ivy can watch her and learn how to interact with others in the new environment.

We spent about 10-15 minutes on the safari watching Ivy take in her new surroundings. There are some burlap barriers in place so Ivy is aware of her boundaries. These are temporary and will be removed once she is comfortable in her new home.

Just how did they choose the name Ivy? One of her keepers answered that since her mom’s name is Willow, they wanted a name for Ivy that was also tree and nature related. The team voted from 12 names, and Ivy was the winner!

We also asked if her care team had any tips for guests hoping to catch a glimpse of Ivy on the savanna. They suggest always looking near the trees because that is where their food is! And, if you spot Willow, you’ll likely see Ivy too since they are so close.

Because Masai giraffes are endangered, Disney’s conservation team is working hard to prevent them from going extinct. Ivy plays a key role in boosting their genetic diversity.

Kilimanjaro Safaris is located in the park’s Africa section. Guests board an open-air vehicle for a guided tour of the savanna, seeing animals like lions, hippos, rhinos, elephants, zebras, and more.

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