We Interrupt Your Day With the Adorable Disney News You Desperately Need

Has it been one of those days for you? Or maybe it’s even been one complicated week, month, or year. Well, now we’ve got some Disney news that could just be the thing to bring you a bit of joy!

Disney World is full of animals, with many of them residing in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. So it’s exciting when we get some big animal news from that park. Sometimes there is nothing better than hearing about (and seeing photos of) new animals being born at the park, so naturally we just HAD to tell you all about a new baby that has recently joined the Disney gang!

Meet Saffron, a baby mandrill who weighs less than three pounds and could almost fit in the palm of your hand. 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹

Yes, she’s tiny now, but she’ll grow up to be an adult mandrill, which is actually the largest species of monkey in the world. She could weigh 25 pounds in just a few years. Now, though, she’s tiny and adorable and clinging to her Mommy, Hazel. You might even catch sight of her the next time you ride Kilimanjaro Safaris (look for her in the treetops!).

Saffron was born on July 24th, and at the moment, her mom has been holding onto her pretty tightly. Hazel (Saffron’s mom) will even groom Saffron to comfort the baby. AWWWWWWW.

If you’re curious about what a mandrill is, think of Rafiki in The Lion King — Rafiki was based on the species!

Mandrills are most known for their bright colors, which include blue, red, and pink on their faces and yellow on their manes. Each mandrill has a unique coloration and pattern, so no two are alike. Saffron won’t grow into her own colors, though, until she’s around three or four years old.

Saffron’s birth is an important one. There are only about 4,000 mandrills left in the wilds of Africa. Disney has been working to help with the “responsible breeding of endangered species in managed care to create healthy and genetically diverse populations of animals for years to come.”

Disney also works with the Jane Goodall Institute and Durham University to help rescued and rehabilitated mandrills return to their natural habitats.