Credit: DisneyIn 1998, a brand-new theme park opened at Walt Disney World Resort — Animal Kingdom. The new theme park gave guests a whole new way to get up close to exotic animals and taught visitors about things like poaching and deforestation. It wasn’t just a place to see giraffes and lions. It was a place where you learned about how to protect their habitats and keep their population numbers up.
And while Animal Kingdom is technically a zoo, it is so much more than that. Walt Disney was a huge conservationist, and Animal Kingdom really embraces that. Disney works with zoos around the world to help breed animals who are critically endangered and, hopefully, increase their numbers.
Related: Animal Kingdom Welcomes Adorable New Additions!
On September 26, 2024, Sumatran tiger Sohni gave birth to a brand-new cub named Bakso. It was a big moment for those who worked at Animal Kingdom, as well as Disney fans around the world.
Of course, Bakso and his mother needed time to bond, and he needed time to grow before he could be taken to the Maharajah Jungle Trek and seen by fans. Disney does not rush its animals and will only bring them in front of guests when they are big enough and healthy enough to be out on their own. However, since he is still very young, he can’t be far from his mom.
Finally, on January 29, Disney surprised everyone when they finally allowed Bakso into the tiger area of the Jungle Trek. Fans were thrilled, and videos of the adorable cub quickly began making the rounds.
Guests immediately began heading to Animal Kingdom in an attempt to see Bakso. However, because he was so young, the handlers did not want to overwhelm him and needed to make sure that he adjusted well to his new home.
Because of Bakso’s overwhelming popularity, the Maharajah Jungle Trek began dealing with an influx of guests that they were not used to. Guests are lining up long before the area opens, which is typically an hour after Animal Kingdom opens. Cast members can only allow a certain number of guests into the viewing area at one time, and the wait once the exhibit opens can be more than an hour long.
Related: Fans Predict Cancellation of Major Animal Kingdom Project
Sumatran tigers are critically endangered, and less than 400 are left in the wild, which makes Bakso’s birth all the more special. Before he was born, Animal Kingdom was only home to two Sumatran tigers—Bakso’s parents, Sohni and Conrad.
According to his caretakers, Bakso will stay with his mom between one and a half and three years. After that, he will be considered an adult, and he will be old enough to breed with another tiger!
Once Bakso is old enough, Disney will work with other zoos that are members of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) to find a tiger who is a good genetic match for him to breed with.
But Bakso will not be the only tiger Disney will attempt to breed. Once he leaves Sohni’s side, Disney will see if Conrad and Sohni are interested in breeding again. Conrad is only interested in breeding, so he cannot be around the mother and her cub, or else he might try to hurt Bakso, so Sohni is no longer distracted by a cub.
There is no guarantee that Conrad will breed with Sohi again, so there is a chance the tigers might not remain at Animal Kingdom. Bakso, when old enough, may also be sent to another zoo while he attempts to breed.
Thankfully, we will get to enjoy him for at least one year, so we will take advantage of that while we can!
Have you visited Animal Kingdom and seen baby Bakso? Will you be making a special trip to see him? Let us know in the comments!