Taipei Zoo has welcomed a new member to the family, a male Malayan tapir brought over from Prague Zoo last month.
The Malayan tapir, while extremely popular due to its black-and-white colored fur, is considered an endangered animal by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the zoo said.
There are five species of the tapiridae family — the Brazilian tapir, the Malayan tapir, the Baird’s tapir, the kabomani tapir and the mountain tapir.
Photo courtesy of Taipei Zoo
The zoo said it took in the two-and-half-year-old Malayan tapir in the hope of preserving its genetic material, as it hopes to pair the male with a female Malayan tapir already at the zoo.
The young Malayan tapir is quite active and aside from a few incidents of picking with its food, it has adapted well to the local food that comprises its main diet — sweet potato leaves, paper mulberry and papaya, the zoo said.
It has started acclimatizing the new tapir to its surroundings and staff, the zoo said.
Staff started by standing in the corner and watching it eat, before entering the next level of brushing its back or head, and encouraging it to lie down, the zoo said.
Over the past month, the zoo has succeeded in establishing trust with the animal, the zoo said, adding that this process could remove the necessity of anesthetizing the tapir when it is in need of medical attention.
In recognition of World Tapir Day yesterday, the zoo arranged for individuals to dress up as tapir mascots and make random appearances around the zoo.
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