The baby tapir is finally here! After a 13-month pregnancy, Baird’s tapir “Contessa” gave birth to a male calf on January 4. While both mom and calf are healthy, Contessa was not nursing the baby, and displayed aggression towards him. For his health and safety, he is now being hand-raised by Keepers. This is very rare at the Zoo, but in this case it was deemed necessary by our Keeper and Veterinary team. We’re so excited about this important birth—the Zoo participates in the Baird’s tapir Species Survival Plan®, a managed breeding program designed to maintain a healthy, genetically diverse, and demographically stable group of animals.
The baby tapir is finally here! After a 13-month pregnancy, Baird’s tapir “Contessa” gave birth to a male calf on January 4. While both mom and calf are healthy, Contessa was not nursing the baby, and displayed aggression towards him. For his health and safety, he is now being hand-raised by Keepers. This is very rare at the Zoo, but in this case it was deemed necessary by our Keeper and Veterinary team. We’re so excited about this important birth—the Zoo participates in the Baird’s tapir Species Survival Plan®, a managed breeding program designed to maintain a healthy, genetically diverse, and demographically stable group of animals.