The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo says it has reached a conservation milestone with the birth of its first Malayan tapir calf, a rare species with fewer than 2,500 left in the wild.The female calf was born August 28 to first-time mother Sempurna and father Tanuck, the zoo announced this week. Keepers say the newborn, weighing just over 10 kg, is healthy, active, and already showing off the striped-and-spotted pattern that earned it the nickname “watermelon on legs.”“This is a huge moment for our zoo — the very first Malayan tapir calf ever born here,” said Barb Campbell, Animal Care Supervisor. .After some early nursing difficulties, zoo staff provided pain relief and supplemental feeding until Sempurna adjusted. The calf is now feeding consistently and bonding well with her mother.The calf will remain out of public view for several weeks while it develops. In the meantime, the zoo is promoting updates through its social media channels.Malayan tapirs, the largest of the world’s tapir species and the only ones native to Asia, face shrinking populations due to poaching, habitat loss, and human conflict. The Calgary zoo is part of an international breeding program intended to preserve the species.Zoo officials say the successful birth is a major step in those efforts. “Every birth is special, but this one has been long-awaited and carries real significance for the species,” Campbell said.
