Disney’s Animal Kingdom Baby Elephant Named “Jabali”– “Strong as a Rock” in Swahili

A name has been chosen for our baby elephant, born last week at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It is Jabali, which means “strong as a rock” in Swahili—a great name for a male calf that will grow to well over 10,000 pounds.

Deciding on a name for the baby elephant was quite a process. Names were submitted by team members and voted on—then the list was narrowed down and voted on again.

Jabali is doing very well as he continues the bonding process with his mom, Vasha. He’s also receiving a lot of attention from his older sister Kianga who has been showering him with affection.

Since early August, our animal care team has provided round-the-clock monitoring, regular ultrasounds and daily hormone monitoring of Vasha to more accurately predict the beginning of labor. In the past few years, the team has been able to narrow the birth window to within four days, which enables them to better prepare for the delivery.

Every day brings new discoveries for Jabali, as he continues to gradually acclimate to the rest of the savannah herd over the next several weeks.