Bakso, Animal Kingdom's Two-Year-Old Sumatran Tiger, Is Moving to Another Zoo This Fall

Bakso, the Sumatran tiger born at Disney's Animal Kingdom two years ago, is leaving Walt Disney World. Disney announced on Monday, September 28, that he will move to another Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited zoo "later this fall."

The news came tucked inside a second-birthday post on the Disney Parks Blog. Bakso was born on September 26, 2024, to mother Sohni and father Conrad, and was the first tiger cub born at Animal Kingdom in seven years, according to Mousesteps. He made his public debut on Maharajah Jungle Trek in late January 2025.

The short version: Bakso can still be seen on Maharajah Jungle Trek for now. He leaves for another AZA-accredited zoo sometime this fall. Disney has not named the zoo or given a departure date.

Bakso at his second birthday celebration at Disney's Animal Kingdom, September 2026. Photo: Disney

Why he is leaving

Disney says the move follows a recommendation from the AZA's Species Survival Plan (SSP) for Sumatran tigers, the program accredited zoos use to manage breeding and transfers for endangered species. Sumatran tigers are critically endangered, and Disney notes that "fewer than 600" remain in the wild. It says Bakso "could one day father his own cubs."

Species Survival Plans pair animals across member zoos to keep the managed population genetically diverse. A young male usually cannot be paired with the related tigers he grew up with, so a transfer to another zoo is a common next step.

It has happened at Animal Kingdom before. Jeda, a male cub Sohni had at the park in 2017, moved to San Antonio Zoo under the SSP in 2021, at about 3 years old, WDW News Today reported at the time.

Bakso has been living apart from his mother since early February 2026, when Mousesteps reported the pair had been permanently separated. It noted that tigers in the wild split from their mothers at around 18 to 24 months, so Bakso, at about 16 months, was a little early. Mousesteps also reported then that nothing had been announced about where Bakso might eventually go. Now a move is confirmed, although the destination is still unnamed.

Bakso around his public debut at Disney's Animal Kingdom, January 2025. Photo: Disney

Bakso at his first birthday party at Disney's Animal Kingdom, September 2025. Photo: Disney

What Disney did not say

• Which zoo. Disney says only that it is AZA-accredited. There is no word on whether it is in Florida or anywhere near Orlando.
• When. "Later this fall" is the only timing. Disney has not given a last day for guests to see him.
• Who replaces him on the trail. Mousesteps reported in February that Sohni and Conrad were also still at Animal Kingdom, with the three tigers split across three enclosures, two of them public. Disney's post does not say which tigers guests will see on Maharajah Jungle Trek once Bakso is gone, or whether another tiger is coming in.

What it means for your trip

If seeing Bakso is on your list, go sooner rather than later. With no date announced, any Animal Kingdom visit from October onward carries some risk that he has already left. Disney says guests "still have time" to visit him, but has not said how much.

Maharajah Jungle Trek is a self-guided walking trail in the Asia section of the park, next to Kali River Rapids. There is no Lightning Lane or reservation for it. Big cats are often more active in the cooler morning hours, so an early visit may give you a better chance of seeing him moving around.

Tigers are not always in the public habitats, so there is no guarantee of a sighting on any given visit, even before the move.

Bakso on Maharajah Jungle Trek in September 2026. Photo: Disney

Sources: Disney Parks Blog, Mousesteps, WDW News Today.