The birth last weekend of a Malayan tapir at Artis - Amsterdam - the Netherlands brought me to the idea to create a own thread for this rare and threatened species. With only 23 European collection keeping this species I was wondering : a ) how many specimens are kept at the moment b ) how many founders are represented in the European population and c ) are there still wild-caught animals in the European zoo-population ?
Malayan Tapir in the UK Chester has 2:1 (Solo, Bentong & Margery) Edinburgh has 2:1 (Mogli, Baku & Sanang) London RP has 1:1 (Hutan & Gertie) Not sure on Belfast or Port Lympne
The latest Z magazine referred to Solo as being female... not sure if that's an error in the magazine or if they made a mistake when first determining gender
I can't find about current, but their number on 31 December 2008 in Europe stood at only 47 animals (23.24), and 1.1 animals from Pretoria South Africa. From here: http://eaza.portal.isis.org/activities/cp/yearbook20072008/37_Tapir_Hippo_TAG.pdf They shouldn't increased a lot since then because they are slow-reproducing animals, and maybe some 55-60 animals are currently in Europe, and would definitively want to know their status, particularly in North America, and everywhere outside their native range in wild?
Rotterdam: 2,1 (M Vazan; F Pooh; newborn M Penang) Antwerp: 1,1 (M Kamal; F Nakal) - not sure whether or not a youngster is still expected for this year. Artis: I'm not entirely sure, but I think there should be three (1,1,1) with the newborn calf.
Thank you all sofar esp. Nikola Chavkosk for the 2008 EAZA list ! Still no information about wild caught animals in the current population and about founder numbers - anybody an idea ??
As far as I know, there is only one wild caught Malayan tapir left in europe, a female at Fuengirola Zoo, arrived in 2004. There could be more in asian zoos, but i have no idea, if any wild caught MT left in Us-Zoos. There were two breeding populations-one before the second world war and the second after it. Please give me a bit time to answer your question about the size of the Founder population. Breeding starts in 1964 at Nuremberg Zoo.
When Zoo Usti got their new tapir in May this year, the article mentioned there are 51 Malayan tapirs in Europe, 29 males and 22 females. When Zlin zoo announced the birth of a baby last month, the article mentioned it was one of 6 baby m-tapirs that were born in Europe in last 12 months. Population of Malayan tapirs seem to be in expansion in Europe recently.
Thereare 54 Malayan Tapirs currently in Europe and 7 birds in the last 12 months. The animals imported by Howletts and Port lympne were captive bred animals.
7 Birth ? Where ? For 2016, I know Edinburgh, Leipzig, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Zlin and Chester. The 7th calf within 12 month was in Prague ? Any birth in the Usa and Asia for 2016 ?
I have just found, that the number of Malayan tapirs in AZA zoos in North America in 2013 was 49 (23.26), from San Diego Zoo Global - so the population number aproximately is equal to that in Europe : Tapir Fact Sheet And number of baird's tapirs was impressive 127 animals in 2011 (80 males, and just 45 females!)
The only remaining wild caught Malayan Tapir in Europe is "Esperanza" at Fuengirola. She was caught in Malaysia approx. 2000 and was transfered to Fuengirola 2004 (via Melaka).
At Antwerp today a Malayan tapir was born : Te schattig: tapirbaby met stipjes geboren in Antwerpse Zoo - Gazet van Antwerpen
Small video I made myself on Oct. 15 at Rotterdam Zoo of the male-young Penang ( born August 4 2016 ) with his mother Pooh. The father - Vazan - was at that moment in the outdoor enclosure :
Oldest Malayan tapir in Europe turns 39 ! Birthday treat for Malayan tapir still going strong at 39 - Sunday Post
Article about the birth of an Malayan tapir at Edinburgh : ‘Pitter-Patter' of Tapir Hooves at Edinburgh Zoo
