Paignton Zoo welcome for the boy from Brazil!
A male Brazilian tapir has been born at Paignton Zoo Environmental Park.
The new arrival – named Dexter – was born on Sunday February 5.
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Dexter the tapir baby at just two hours old
His parents are Misha and Ryan. Paignton Zoo has enjoyed regular successes with tapirs, breeding seven young over the last 11 years.
Paignton Zoo Environmental Park Director of Operations and Curator of Mammals Neil Bemment said: “There are few zoo youngsters as endearing as a baby tapir. It is always good news to breed such a popular and charismatic species.”
Brazilian or lowland tapirs are threatened due to habitat destruction and hunting for food. The population in European zoos is managed co-operatively.
Tapirs live in wet forest and grassland, where they eat grasses, leaves, buds, fruits and aquatic vegetation. The tapir's short, fleshy, trunk-like nose helps the animal to sniff its way through the forest and is a sensitive finger used to pluck leaves and shoots. This prehensile snout also makes a great snorkel when the tapirs are bathing. They love water and are excellent swimmers.
A single youngster is born after a gestation period of about 13 months. Baby tapirs have striped and spotted coats for camouflage but they lose their patterns as they grow older.
4 Comments
by FrankEinstein
Sunday, February 12 2012, 11:55PM
“It's not a tapir, it's just an underfed staffordshire bull terrier that some chav has got rid of, what are you trying to pull Paignton zoo, we are not as stupid as we look.”
by omnivore23
Friday, February 10 2012, 4:01PM
“Oh - and congratulations Misha and Ryan - I do like a nice Tapir.”
by omnivore23
Friday, February 10 2012, 3:42PM
“I agree Pete - it's most suspicious that with only 2000 animals, four have apparently died since 2009.
Not only that - but anyone would think it was a major tourist attraction and significant employer, as well as an important centre for research and conservation the way the newspaper has bombared us with no fewer than FOUR stories since 2009 - and that's just the ones you could find - why there might be even more - six, or perhaps even seven - or considerably more than that!
Furthermore - Anyone would think HE was a local paper the way it keeps banging on about stuff happening in the area and that.
Keep up the good work Pete - where would we be without your Eagle-eyed vigilance!”
by omnivore23
Friday, February 10 2012, 2:24PM
“Yeah - you tell 'em Pete - they are always going on about animals aren't they - typical Zoo”