We made it out to Disney’s Animal Kingdom for our first look at the new tiger cubs, Anala and Jeda. Located in the Maharajah Jungle Trek, the tigers live and play with their mom – Sohni. We visited at about 10am, which proved to be a playful time for Jeda, while Anala just wanted to gnaw on her breakfast.
When we arrived, Jeda was stalking his mother.
He stopped just short of jumping on her this time and the two walked around the exhibit for a little while. He’s very attached to her and will follow her for most of the day, according to Cast Members.
Meanwhile, Anala was working on some leftovers.
Jeda left mom for a bit to explore some fallen branches. Cold weather in Central Florida has led to some of the trees exhibiting fall behavior such as losing their leaves. The fallen leaves and branches proved to be fun for Jeda.
Anala was still focused on her meal (and looking at us!).
Jeda spent the rest of his morning by playing with (or at) his mother.
Cast Members did a wonderful job answering our questions about the tiger cubs and the role they play in Disney’s efforts with the Species Survival Plan and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The tigers are still less than a year old and have some growing up to do before Disney makes a decision about where they will live out their lives. Cast anticipated that the cubs would stay at Disney’s Animal Kingdom for the next couple of years.
We loved spending some time getting a rare glimpse into the lives of such a beautiful species and would highly recommend that you spend some time in the Maharajah Jungle Trek on your next Walt Disney World vacation.