Tiger Tuesday: Baby Bakso Has His First Solid Meal!

If you have been reading along here at MickeyBlog, then you know that we have been closely following the adventures of baby Bakso, the newest star of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Every Tuesday, the animal care experts at Disney’s Animal Kingdom give us a behind-the-scenes glimpse at Bakso and his mother, Sohni, as they prepare for their debut on the Maharajah Jungle Trek.

Photo: Disney

It has been an amazing glimpse into the dedicated care that Disney provides.

Tiger Tuesday Recaps

As a quick recap, the first two Tiger Tuesdays followed Bakso as he went through his checkups. Disney veterinarians were happy with his eight sharp baby teeth, bright eyes, and reflexes.

Then, week three gave fans a glimpse into Bakso’s playroom, where he was introduced to scent enrichment with lemongrass. The new experience was important to the tiger’s growth as it opened his senses to the world while keeping him happy and healthy.

Photo: Disney

Finally, last week, we saw Bakso and his mother spending time together, playing and relaxing.

Bakso Has Solid Food For the First Time

This week, Bakso, whose name was inspired by the Indonesian word for meatball, ate solid food for the very first time! Fittingly, his first meal was a meatball!

Photo: Disney

“Sumatran tigers are carnivores and our Animal Nutrition Center does an incredible job at ensuring all animal diets are delicious, packed full of proper nutrients and ethically sourced. This is especially important for a baby cub during his growing years and as he prepares for the ‘big cat habitat,” Disney explained.

Eating solid foods was an important step in Bakso’s development, and keepers will soon begin weaning him from nursing and providing him with the necessary enrichment to mimic hunting behavior.

Going forward, Bakso will continue to nurse less and transition to more solid foods as he prepares to join Sohni on the Maharajah Jungle Trek. I can’t wait to see what Bakso does next!