Guests wowed by live birth at Rafiki's Planet Watch
Steve Langlois
06/10/2003
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL (Disney) -- Disney's Animal Kingdom guests recently watched the birth of a baby siamang (pronounced sigh-uh-mang), a species of ape, on several monitors that broadcast the operation from a surgery room at Rafiki's Planet Watch.
"The guests loved it," said Sharon Joseph, curator of mammals at Disney's Animal Kingdom. "They applauded when the baby was removed."
Animal keepers had monitored the pregnant mother.
"We came in that morning, and the birth wasn't progressing as it should have been," said Zoological Manager Hollie Colahan. "We took her to the hospital and did an X-ray and saw that the baby was going to be a breech."
A veterinary team took the mother to a surgery room and performed a caesarian section. About 20 guests gathered in the hospital viewing area to view the entire surgery and extraction of the baby male. Many other guests passing by the area viewed portions of the procedure.
Hollie said the baby's well on his way to joining the other siamangs in Asia at the theme park.
"The baby's doing well now," Hollie said. "He's healthy, and eventually the first-time mom will get together with him."
Hollie said the televised birth, along with recent onstage births of a baby hippo and wildebeest at Kilimanjaro Safaris, added to the guests' experience at Disney's Animal Kingdom.
"I think it's great that people get to see what we do," Hollie said. "The hospital and examining rooms at Rafiki's Planet Watch provide a great learning opportunity for guests who can't experience this anywhere else."
Pictures are ©Disney
Steve Langlois
06/10/2003
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL (Disney) -- Disney's Animal Kingdom guests recently watched the birth of a baby siamang (pronounced sigh-uh-mang), a species of ape, on several monitors that broadcast the operation from a surgery room at Rafiki's Planet Watch.
"The guests loved it," said Sharon Joseph, curator of mammals at Disney's Animal Kingdom. "They applauded when the baby was removed."
Animal keepers had monitored the pregnant mother.
"We came in that morning, and the birth wasn't progressing as it should have been," said Zoological Manager Hollie Colahan. "We took her to the hospital and did an X-ray and saw that the baby was going to be a breech."
A veterinary team took the mother to a surgery room and performed a caesarian section. About 20 guests gathered in the hospital viewing area to view the entire surgery and extraction of the baby male. Many other guests passing by the area viewed portions of the procedure.
Hollie said the baby's well on his way to joining the other siamangs in Asia at the theme park.
"The baby's doing well now," Hollie said. "He's healthy, and eventually the first-time mom will get together with him."
Hollie said the televised birth, along with recent onstage births of a baby hippo and wildebeest at Kilimanjaro Safaris, added to the guests' experience at Disney's Animal Kingdom.
"I think it's great that people get to see what we do," Hollie said. "The hospital and examining rooms at Rafiki's Planet Watch provide a great learning opportunity for guests who can't experience this anywhere else."
Pictures are ©Disney
