Rare Endangered Malayan Tapir Calf Born in Chester Zoo, a Valuable New Addition to UK Breeding Program

At Chester Zoo, a critically endangered Malayan tapir calf was born, marking what the zoo called an "important moment" for advances in conservation as it may mean expanding their breeding program.

9-Kg Bundle of Energy

The female calf, named Nessa by the zoo staff, was born on Wednesday at Chester Zoo, one of just two facilities in the nation where tapirs, a species related to horses and rhinoceroses, are kept.

Nessa has a distinctive coat with spots and stripes that would help her to camouflage on the forest floor, but over the next six months, this will gradually change to match the black and white pattern of her mother, Margery.

SPECIAL WELCOME: England’s Chester Zoo welcomed a rare Malayan tapir calf, Nessa. The birth is special because the zoo says there are only 2,500 Malayan tapirs in the world. https://t.co/7Z5kz76kcU pic.twitter.com/mxt1pfCiHS
— ABC News (@ABC) December 10, 2022

Rosie Owen, a Chester zoo zookeeper, said that Nessa is confident and always looking to explore, a real bundle of energy.

She said that it was lovely to hear the tiny, spotted, and striped Malayan tapir feet once more. It's fair to say that Nessa's arrival has brought huge smiles to the faces of the entire zoo staff because these animals are extremely special, a highly endangered species, and are only cared for by a very small number of zoos in all of Britain.

Endangered Species

Less than 2,500 Malayan tapirs are thought to be left in Malaysia, Sumatra, Thailand, and Myanmar due to hunting, illegal logging, and mass deforestation, which has caused a more than 50% decline in the species' global population.

Mike Jordan, the Chester zoo director for animals and plants, said that The European endangered species breeding program is working to maintain a safety net population of the endangered Malayan tapirs in conservation zoos such as Chester zoo, protecting them from extinction. Margery's priceless calf is a highly significant new arrival. It will add valuable new genetics to the program.

Leonardo DiCaprio praised Chester Zoo last month for aiding in the resuscitation of a threatened fish species. The zoo participated in a successful breeding program for the golden skiffia, which led to its release into a Mexican river. The Hollywood star wrote about this in an Instagram post, The Guardian reports.

Malayan Tapir

According to Tapir Specialist Group data, in Malaysia, and Indonesia, Malay tapirs are also known as badak and som-set in Thailand.

The largest of the four tapir species, and the only one to be found in Asia, is the Malayan tapir. They are the largest of the tapir species, growing to a length of 1.8 meters, about 6 feet, and weighing about 350 kg or 720 pounds.

These tapirs are easily identified by their coloring; they have black heads and hindquarters with a noticeable white patch around their middles.

One Earth says that after a gestation of approximately 395 days, females typically give birth to one calf every two years. When calves are born, they weigh about 6.8 kilograms or 15 pounds and have a distinctive coat of brown hair with white spots and stripes. This pattern, which helps the calves effectively conceal themselves in the light that filters through the forest's leaves, fades in about four to seven months after birth.