NEWS: Disney Welcomes New Tiger at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

For the first time in seven years, Disney welcomed a critically endangered Sumatran tiger cub named Basko to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park! From medical care to nutrition and more, they are sharing how the animal care teams prepared Mom for this important birth that is helping repopulate this beautiful species. Learn more below.

Here are all the details from Disney Cast Member Dr. Scott Terrell:

ADORBS-Alert!

Introducing the newest and cutest cub at Disney’s Animal Kingdom!

Here’s a behind-the-scenes “fur-st” look at baby boy Bakso and mom, Sohni, capturing the hearts of the animal care team which is over-the-moon about this latest bundle of stripes.

Though this tiger may be tiny now, he represents a great contribution to a declining tiger population, with less than 600 Sumatran tigers left in the wild and managed care. Bakso also serves as a beacon of hope for the future of this critically endangered species and to all of those who care for these tigers.

“Tigers are in steep decline in the wild, so it is very special to welcome a new baby here at Disney, the first in seven years. Tiger births are rare in managed care and take a lot of planning and coordinating by our animal care team and the Species Survival Plan,” said Dr. Natalie, one of the veterinarians and many animal care professionals who monitored Sohni throughout her three-month pregnancy.

These big cats are considered an “umbrella species.” In technical terms, conservation efforts to preserve these tigers will extend to other species within their habitat providing cover to other key organisms and living things across the ecosystem. Essentially, by protecting tigers and their habitats, we protect the places where they belong, which is critical to many people around the world. This is why it’s essential that we continue our focused care.

Disney has a long history of collaborating with renowned experts like the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the Species Survival Plan (SSP) to bolster endangered and threatened species populations in managed care. This birth is just one great example of Disney’s work with the AZA that has helped strengthen the critically endangered Sumatran tiger population and the genetics of the species worldwide.

Dr. Natalie regards this birth as significant, well-planned and meticulously orchestrated. Using advanced technology, endocrinologists – also known as hormone experts – were able to monitor the health of Sohni’s pregnancy up until the birth, like that of 10-month-old Corra, an African elephant on Kilimanjaro Safaris.

From frequent blood tests to weekly ultrasounds, skilled veterinarians like Dr. Natalie ensured that both Bakso and Sohni were happy and healthy. Best of all, Sohni’s keepers monitored her behavior and successfully trained her to voluntarily participate in her own care, a testament to the relationship our keepers develop with these incredible animals.

While the health and wellbeing of the animals in our care is incredibly important to us, caring for their wild counterparts is key. The Disney Conservation Fund has provided support to 15 organizations working with communities to protect tigers and their habitats since 1995. This past April in celebration of Disneynature’s Tiger the fund also awarded a grant to Wildlife Conservation Society in support of their initiatives safeguarding the world’s most endangered tigers.

Like all Sumatran tiger cubs, Bakso will need his mother’s care until he is around 18-24 months old. So the good news is that guests will be able to see baby grow alongside mom when they’re both ready to join Maharajah Jungle Trek in a few months.

For the latest updates on Bakso and all the animals at Walt Disney World Resort, follow Dr. Mark on Instagram and Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment Facebook page.

RELATED ARTICLE: 8 Facts and Secrets About Maharajah Jungle Trek at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

by Kristin

The Maharajah Jungle Trek is my favorite of the trails.  I love everything about the theme as well as the tigers and the bats.  These are such cool experiences that only Disney provides.  There are a lot of great facts and little extras that you may not know.  Here are some great facts and secrets about the Maharajah Jungle Trek:

8 – What’s in a name?

“Maharaja” is the Indian word for a king or prince in India.  A tiger is a regal animal and highly regarded in the jungles of India as one of the most beautiful creatures. We have seen the tiger appear as a palace pet in Aladdin as well as a powerful villain in The Jungle Book.  They are a big part of the culture in India, which makes the name perfect for this walking trail in the heart of “Asia”.

7 – The best time to visit.

There are a couple different strategies for visiting the Maharajah Jungle Trek.  One is to visit during the midday time frame when all of the other guest are at lunch or waiting in line for attractions.  Midday is usually around the busiest time of day for any Disney theme park, so it is a great time to meander the trail instead of waiting in line.  If seeing the tigers in action is your main motive, then you may want to visit the park about an hour or so before park closing.  If you do this then the tigers are more likely to be up and moving around rather than napping in the sun.  It is a great time to spend watching them and enjoying these beautiful creatures.

6 – Tigers are endangered.

Tigers are actually endangered animals, and Disney is working to help prevent these beautiful animals from becoming extinct.  It is a grave concern and would be a travesty to lose these animals forever, so Disney is putting a lot of effort into conservation and helping to ensure that the population of these beautiful big cats stay intact.  We have 6 tigers that are on out for guests to see at any given time at the attraction.

5 – No glass between you and the bats.

Yes, you read that right!  You enter into the area with the bats and there are no glass or screens standing between you and the bats.  The walls are open and you have a clear view of all of the bats in their environment.  Bats inherently have no desire to interact with humans and won’t try to fly toward them or around them.  This is good for us, so we don’t have to be afraid and we get to see them up close.  If you have a fear of bats, you are able to bypass this area and won’t have to go in!

4 – Look at the pictures outside of the bat area.

These are real photographs that were taken of bats in real caves in Asia.  These were real photos that were taken for the exhibit.  If you keep looking, you will also spot the famous imagineer, Joe Rhode, with his own camera on the shoot.  He is one of the imagineers that was part of many of the attractions that were created.  He has also appeared in videos and documentaries on their creation and the history.

3 – Indian ruins are the inspiration for the trail.

The entire trail is themed after ancient Indian ruins to perfectly fit the theme of the area as well as the native homes of the animals that live on the trail.  The inspiration for these ruins came from architecture and history from Nepal, Thailand, Indonesia and India.  You can see this through the colors, buildings, animal carvings, etc. as they appear throughout the trail.  It makes the experience feel much more like you have been transported somewhere else and might actually be in this environment.

2 – Malayan Tapir used to be a part of the exhibit.

The Malayan Tapir, which is also known as the Asian Tapir, used to be a part of the trek.  The tapirs are extremely endangered.  They are one of only 4 species that are native to the Asian continent, which makes them extra special to Asia.  Their colorings are very distinctive as it almost looks like they have a white diaper on while the rest of their bodies are more of a black color.  Their coloring actually helps to make them look like rocks to predators when they are lying down. I haven’t been able to find why they are no longer features on the trek, but they were there from when the attraction opened in 1999 until 2009.

1 – Interesting insulation.

Disney thinks of every little detail when they develop their attractions.  We love this about Disney attractions.  You will notice that as you enter the Maharajah Jungle Trek, newspapers from Anandapur are being used to line and insulate the building, just adding to the realism of Anandapur as a community and tying the entire area together with the attraction.