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Animal Kingdom’s Newest Baby Looks Nothing Like the Rest of Her Family
Stop what you’re doing, because Disney’s Animal Kingdom just introduced the cutest new resident we’ve seen in a while. Her name is Quartz; she’s a wallaby joey, and she’s albino. That means snow-white fur, pink eyes, and a little pink nose, and she is completely adorable.
Quartz now lives at Jumping Junction with the park’s mob of kangaroos and wallabies, and trust us, she stands out. Everyone else in the habitat is brown. She is very much not.
Disney Is Pretty Proud of Her
Disney introduced Quartz as the newest wallaby joey at Jumping Junction, and kept the announcement short and sweet: “Born with albinism, Quartz’s rare appearance makes her one of a kind at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.”
The photos Disney shared are honestly too much. In one, Quartz is peeking out of the pouch of an adult wallaby with a regular brown coat, and the contrast is wild. In others, she’s out on her own, poking around the sand and ferns like she owns the place. She looks steady on her feet and super curious about everything, which is exactly the energy we want from a baby wallaby.
Why She’s Such a Big Deal
Here’s the science part, but we’ll keep it quick. Albinism is a recessive trait, and Disney explains that an animal has to inherit the genetic mutation from both parents to be born with it. So both of Quartz’s parents carry the mutation, and that rare combo is what made her possible.
Because albinism reduces pigmentation, Quartz didn’t get the darker coloring that the rest of her mob has. Instead, she got white fur and pink eyes, which makes her really easy to spot from basically anywhere in the habitat.
And the good news is that she’s doing great. Disney says Quartz gets dedicated care from the animal care team and is a happy, healthy joey.
Wait, What’s Jumping Junction?
If you haven’t been out to Conservation Station lately, you might have missed this. Jumping Junction replaced the old Affection Section this spring and gave the park’s kangaroos and wallabies a walk-through home.
It opened alongside the Bluey’s Wild World takeover, which makes total sense since Bluey is all about Australia. The habitat is home to red kangaroos, western grey kangaroos, and red-necked wallabies, which you might also hear called Bennett’s wallabies.
During the limited soft opening back in June, animal care Cast Members took small groups along a paved path while the kangaroos and wallabies hopped around freely. Super cool, but one big rule: no touching. This is not a petting zoo, so keep your hands to yourself, no matter how badly you want to boop a joey.
Disney has also shared plans to open Jumping Junction up to more guests over time while the animal care team helps the animals get comfortable sharing their space. Since access has been rolling out in stages, check what’s available the day you go.
How to Find Her
Getting to Quartz takes a little effort, but it’s worth it. Head to Harambe Station in the Africa section of Animal Kingdom and hop on the Wildlife Express Train. It’ll take you out to Conservation Station, where you’ll find Jumping Junction along with the rest of Bluey’s Wild World.
A lot of people skip Conservation Station because it’s tucked away from the big rides. Honestly, that’s their loss.
Tips So You Don’t Miss Her
Joeys spend a lot of time hanging out in the pouch, so Quartz might not be out every time you visit. Give yourself some time in the habitat, keep an eye on the adult wallabies in case she’s peeking out, and check the sandy, fern-covered spots where she’s been seen exploring. You can also ask an animal care cast member if she’s been active that day.
Go Meet Quartz
There’s not much at Walt Disney World that’s truly one of a kind, but Quartz definitely is. Whether you’re a Bluey fan, an animal lover, or just someone who needs to see a tiny white wallaby in person, this is your sign to finally take the train out to Conservation Station. Go find her. You won’t regret it.
