The Czech Republic’s Prague Zoo celebrated the birth of a
Malayan Tapir on November 6.  Born to
mother Ivana, the male baby is only the second Tapir ever born in the history of the
zoo.

The baby’s birth lasted only 30 minutes, and the calf was immediately
“alive and kicking,” according to staff reports.  For now, the calf prefers to stay close to
Ivana in the zoo’s exhibit.

All Malayan Tapir calves are born with a dappled brown and
white coat, which offers excellent camouflage in its native southeast Asian
rain forest.  By the time the baby is
about six months old, it will develop the solid black and white coloration of
the adults. 

Malayan Tapirs are endangered.  Once found throughout the Malay peninsula and
the Indonesian island of Sumatra, their range has been drastically fragmented in recent years due to deforestation,
damming of rivers, and illegal trade. 

Photo Credit:  Prague Zoo