Tapir calf
Cute as a watermelon
And helping his species.
Kazu, our endangered Malayan tapir calf, was born July 12, 2019 to mom Yuna and dad Baku, and he’s thriving. But he’s not just adorable – he’s a sign of hope for an endangered species. Now he’s almost all grown-up.
Curious calf
Born mobile
but needing Mom.
The first tapir calf born in the zoo's 114-year history, Kazu spent his first few weeks behind the scenes at the Asian Forest Sanctuary. Mobile but nursing a lot, he just wanted to hang out with mom. Gradually he grew more independent, even exploring a small pool. He loves back scratches.
Newborn tapir
Wellness exams
and lots of care.
Monitored constantly by keepers, Kazu was given his first wellness exam by our vet team at four days old. Given lots of loving care by Yuna and his keepers, our calf thrived, growing from 20 to 70 ponds in around 5 weeks! See him at various times on weekends.
First exam
Changing colors
and growing up.
Now Kazu's changed color from his baby watermelon spots and stripes to the adult gray-and-white. He's also totally independent and nearly as big as his Dad, Baku.
Kazu Turns Two!
Malayan tapirs
Stripy, solitary
Around 6-8 feet long and 3 feet high, tapirs live in thick rainforests in South East Asia. Often solitary, they are herbivores, eating leaves and fruits and foraging with their long nose. They're good climbers, runners and swimmers, and can even use their nose as a snorkel!
More about tapirs
Tapir Timeline
|
Birth to 6 weeks
Mobile and curious.
|
Tapir calves are born with eyes open, and can stand and walk soon after birth.
|
They are brown with white spots and stripes to camouflage them in forest shade.
|
|
6 to 12 weeks
Growing stronger.
|
Calves nurse a lot, but begin exploring adult food at around 6 weeks.
|
They stick close by their mother, growing strong and learning to swim.
|
|
3-6 months
More independent.
|
Calves wean at around 4-6 months.
|
They also begin to lose their baby markings.
|
|
7-18 months
Becoming an adult.
|
Tapirs reach full size at 18 months.
|
They are mature at 2-4 years.
|
Save tapirs
Protect the rainforest.
THE PROBLEM: Tapirs are endangered, with only around 2,500 remaining in Thailand, Malaysia and Sumatra. A big problem is deforestation of their rainforest habitat.
HOW TO HELP: Our calf was born as part of the tapir Species Survival Program for accredited zoos. You can help tapirs by protecting their rainforest – find out how.
Jungle Stories
Love our baby tapir?
Help support endangered species by adopting an animal through The Zoo Society. You'll get a tapir plush, photo, certificate of adoption and tapir fact sheet - and your donation will support wildlife conservation.