Grace celebrates her 1st birthday at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Baby Grace, a western lowland gorilla, celebrated her first birthday like a princess at Disney’s Animal Kingdom complete with cardboard princess carriage and a cardboard castle, according to Dr. Mark Penning, Vice President, Animals, Science and Environment, Disney Parks.
Grace was born May 1, 2019, at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World to mother Kashata and father Gino. She is named after the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Center (GRACE), a gorilla sanctuary in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is dedicated to helping gorillas orphaned by poaching.
With the park temporarily closed, the animal care team was able to throw her a special princess-themed birthday party.
“The team created a cardboard princess carriage attached to plastic horses by paper chains for Grace and her family to play with. There was also a cardboard castle and colorful piñata. The materials we used in the decorations are enrichment items we give the gorillas as a special treat – perfect for a birthday surprise,” Penning wrote on the Disney Parks Blog.
Grace’s birthday cake was made of three layers of ice treats – blocks of ice with berries and currants for the gorillas to pick out as the ice melts. Pureed sweet potatoes and kiwis were cut nto shapes for another birthday surprise.
“We’re thrilled to watch Grace every day as she matures and develops magnificent new skills. She likes walking upright and hanging upside down, for example. She’s also very energetic, inquisitive and social, and loves to play – especially with her three older siblings,” according to Penning.
