Oh, would you look at that cutie! A baby Malayan tapir has been welcomed as Zoo Miami’s latest resident on September 16th. In an announcement made Wednesday, the gestation period was approximately 13 months and this is the first successful birth of the species at the zoo in 18 years!
The parents are 8-year-old Tengi, who arrived to Zoo Miami from Zoo Tampa, and 12-year-old Kazu from the Point Defiance Zoo. This is Kazu’s first-ever offspring and Tengi’s first viable offspring, as she sadly had a still born calf in 2022.
Weighing 18.5 lbs, the baby tapir is a a male and has been confirmed healthy and thriving by the zoo’s Animal Health team, who conducted a neonatal exam Wednesday morning. The birth was planned as part of the Species Survival Plan, managed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which makes recommendations based on the genetic information of the parents with the goal of producing the healthiest and most genetically diverse offspring.
About Malayan tapirs
Malayan tapirs, which can weight up to 800 pounds, are the largest of four different species of tapirs. The animal is a distant relative of the horse and rhinoceros and has a long, flexible snout much like an elephant’s trunk. It uses that very snout to forage for leaves, twigs and fruits. When swimming, it’ll also use its snout as a snorkel while also feeding on aquatic vegetation.
Newborn and juvenile tapirs have distinctive coats; a dark brown color with white stripes and spots to help them blend in with the dappled sunlight on the forest floor. This pattern changes over time to a black color with a large gray saddle that also serves as a form of camouflage.
It is estimated that fewer than 2,500 tapirs are left in the wild. Their greatest threat is habitat destruction due to deforestation for agricultural palm oil plantations. Hunting is also a factor.
If you’re excited about the youngster’s arrival at the zoo, you’ll have to wait a while to get a look. Zoo Miami said the mother and infant will remain off public view for an undetermined amount of time to allow them to bond with minimum distractions.
đź“Ť Zoo Miami is located at 12400 SW 152nd St, Miami, FL 33177.