It feels like just yesterday we were scratching our heads at the fact that Disney named their new baby Sumatran tiger after meatballs, but we quickly became obsessed and enthralled with just how adorable that little meatball was.
©Disney
Bakso was born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in October 2024 and made his debut on the Maharajah Jungle Trek in January 2025. Bakso is celebrating his second birthday at Disney a little early, because as it turns out, we won’t be seeing him at the park for much longer.
Disney loves celebrating the birthdays of their many Animal Kingdom inhabitants, and today, we’re celebrating Bakso! Bakso is a two-year-old Sumatran Tiger, which is an endangered species native to Southern Asia. There are fewer than 600 of them left in the wild, so Disney is part of the Species Survival Plan to help increase the population of Sumatran Tigers, as well as numerous other endangered species. Accredited zoos and institutions house these animals and encourage reproduction to increase the population of animals like Sumatran tigers.
©Disney
To celebrate Bakso’s second birthday, Disney has thrown him a party with the theme of “Barrels of Fun” since his favorite toys are barrels. It’s absolutely adorable, and you can check out all the details in Disney’s video below!
However, this is where Disney also revealed that Bakso will only be in Animal Kingdom for a few more weeks before he heads off to a new home. He’ll be heading to another Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA)-accredited zoo, though it hasn’t yet been revealed which one that will be. The move is due to the fact that he has a breeding recommendation from the Species Survival Plan, meaning he’s quickly becoming an adult tiger and may have cubs of his own someday soon.
©Disney
We’re devastated to see him go, but we know it’s for a great reason, and means that he can help keep the species alive and healthy. This also could mean we could see another tiger potentially enter the habitat in the future, though there’s been no confirmation of that so far. We will still have the other tigers at the Maharajah Jungle Trek, which includes Bakso’s mom Sohni, and dad Conrad.
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We’ll be sure to keep you updated on all the latest Animal Kingdom news we hear, especially if we hear when Bakso’s last day may be, so stay tuned to DFB!
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