There is great joy in the Eastern Styrian animal kingdom Herberstein (Styria): After seven years, the first offspring of tapir saw the light of day at the weekend. Mama Lelaila and Papa Gonzo are very proud.
The small, striped offspring is currently in the heated interior of the enclosure and curiously explores the area with its trunk. Reinhard Pichler, veterinarian and zoological director: “The young animal is a female. It is suckled several times a day and initially stays with its mother around the clock. After four months, weaning slowly follows.”
Parents Gonzo and Lelaila were also born in Herberstein. The small family can be visited at any time.
Species are considered endangered
Flatland tapirs are native to South America and are also called living fossils because of their body shape, which has been the same for over 50 million years. Their closest relatives are horses and rhinoceroses, although their appearance is more reminiscent of a wild boar with a trunk. The animal species is considered endangered due to hunting and the destruction of its habitat – the rainforests of the Amazon.
Source: Krone
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