BAY LAKE, Fla. – There’s a new tiger hopping around Walt Disney World, but this one’s a bit easier to find than anything in the Hundred Acre Wood.
Bakso, a Sumatran tiger cub born in September at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, has officially made his debut and can be seen with his mother, Sohni, on the Maharajah Jungle Trek.
Bakso made his grand debut on Wednesday as his animal keepers proudly watched, according to a news release from Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment (ASE).
With a little encouragement from his mom, bashful Bakso appeared shortly before the first guests entered the Maharajah Jungle Trek.
“He just needs a little time to warm up the things. As soon as he warms up to them, it’s like it’s been happening all the time,” said Rachel Daneault, Primate Zoological Manager at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
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The keepers are of course letting Bakso roam as he pleases, so he’s not always going to be in his habitat during operating hours, the release adds.
Bakso was born Sept. 26, 2024, to parents Sohni and Conrad, according to Disney ASE, adding he was the first tiger cub born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in seven years.
Disney had documented Bakso’s development through its “Tiger Tuesday” series. Backstage, the animal care team monitored milestones Bakso needed to achieve before he could make his debut.
“We have a lot of really great fountains and pools here for them to swim in. So one of the things he has to learn is how to swim,” said Daneault. “We actually have kind of a baby pool in our back area for him to practice so he can get in and he can understand what it’s like to be in water, how to get out of water, those sorts of things.”
There are fewer than 600 Sumatran tigers left in the wild, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Disney ASE called Bakso “a beacon of hope for this dwindling species” and said he represents the incredible efforts made in partnership with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan Program.
“These are critically endangered animals and we really want people to be able to see them now while they can, but hopefully be inspired to take some conservation action so that we don’t lose these animals in the wild,” Daneault said.
The Maharajah Jungle Trek, a walk-through attraction for all heights and ages, is commonly open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the park’s Asia section.
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