A Malayan tapir is born at the Leipzig Zoo in Germany.
At a German zoo, a newborn and endangered Malayan tapir is photographed in its new home, next to its mother.
"Lyra is an experienced mother who has given birth to several small animals and taken care of them accordingly," the zoo said. ”
The Malay tapir is the largest of the four tapir species. Tapirs can stand for hours after birth and weigh between 15 and 22 pounds. Adult tapirs weigh 550–720 pounds.
In the wild, they are found in the rainforests of Southeast Asia, especially in Sumatra, Indonesia, Peninsular Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature considers the Malay tapir to be endangered, meaning that the species is likely to become extinct in the near future. This is due to large-scale habitat loss due to agricultural development, grazing and logging, and low birth rates.
However, the Leipzig Zoo has been successful in breeding and raising endangered species. Over the past decade, three Malay tapirs, named Baru, Kedua and Ketiga, were born at the zoo and later reintroduced into the wild as part of a conservation program.
The Malay tapir calf is born with stripes that double as camouflage. They disappear with age.
The gestation period of the Malay tapir is about 390 days, and the female tapir gives birth to one baby tapir at a time. They are known to live longer than 30 years.
Tapirs are herbivores; they eat plants such as leaves and fruits.
The first few days of small life will be crucial, especially since the first two born to Lyra did not live to adulthood. Ariel Jacken, senior director of the zoo, said: "We sincerely hope that this time we will have more luck and let this young man go all the way to adulthood. ”
The zoo says the most important thing is to give mothers and newborns time to rest, relax and spend time together to develop their mother-child relationship. Babies are born with stripes and spots that facilitate camouflage. Fades with age.
Mother and child roam freely between indoor and outdoor habitats. This gives visitors the opportunity to see them outside and gives the mother-son duo more freedom.
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