Disney Welcomes Newborn Mandrill To Its Animal Kingdom Crew
Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Florida is taking a page out of The Lion King’s book and celebrating the circle of life. On July 24, the theme park welcomed to the world a baby Mandrill, the same monkey as the beloved Rafiki in the Disney movie.
This less-than-three-pound baby has been clinging to her mom’s side in the treetops at Animal Kingdom’s Kilimanjaro Safaris. The video doesn’t even bring this newborn justice for how cute she is. Take a look at the clip from Orlando’s Fox35.
Be still our hearts! This is seriously beyond precious. We didn't have going to Disney World on our Bingo card for 2023, but after hearing this news, it's a must. Parkgoers are already getting glimpses of this baby named Saffron with her mother. The bond between this newborn and mama Mandrill is incredibly strong. Saffron's sister hasn't even had the chance to hold her yet.
Saffron is so tiny, she could barely fit in a person’s palm. But that won't last long. Mandrills are the largest monkey species in the world. Males can weigh up to 80 pounds and females 30 pounds. Mandrills are known for their colorful faces filled with reds, blues, and even hints of purple.
Mandrills are on the list of “look but don’t touch” exotic pets as these large and very strong monkies come with extremely sharp teeth. No matter how adorable they look or how much you might want your own Rafiki, states don’t even allow people to own pet Manrills. Instead, we’ll just have to admire from afar or watch The Lion King on repeat!
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