It is a Monutain tapir, very easily recognizable by its white lips-specific fot this speices, and also by its dark wolly fur. I also would like to know where this photo was taken. By my knowledge, Mountain tapirs never had been exhibited in any asian zoo.
[QUOTEIndeed it does="Nikola Chavkosk, post: 1007038, member: 12823"]It looks like depressed animal.[/QUO TE] Indeed it does. But would'nt you look depressed, if you had to live your whole life behind fences in captivity ?
I can't see that it looks depressed, it's merely looking into a trough. Admittedly the surroundings are pretty depressing but if someone had Photoshoped this and taken out the bars, I don't believe you'd have made that comment. I think your opinion is being influenced by the context of the photo.
@Bib Fortuna. I think if this tapir had/have a chance to interact with conspecifics, and if other enclosures are provided, beside this ''indoor enclosure'', naturalistic (with soil and living plants), and maybe divided in two or more compartmants with appropriate behavioral enrichment, this animal shouldn't be deppressed or will only show deppression at very few circumstances. @Ned: I saw this tapir deppresed first of all judging from captured facial expression - eye posture down, looks very deep and ''hopeless'', although the way animals, or more specificaly tapirs show depression, is diverse and not identical to than that in humans; And of course these conditions won't make any animal happy (except maybe nocturnal bats ) (some research shows that topical contact of skin with natural substrate like humus soil, makes people and animals happy, and that explains the ''syndrome'' of ''happy gardener'').
Its eyes are down because it's looking in a trough and from this photo, how do you know if it is alone or what it's outdoor enclosure is like or if it has one? I'm just playing devil's advocate here and I, like you, suspect the animal probably isn't kept in the best conditions but you can't know that from this photo.
I suppose it has not good outdoor enclosure, because it seems depressed to me; Maybe I expect more ''happy'' or interested expression if this animals had access to at least one naturalistic or proper enclosure. Otherwise I don't know anything other than this supposition.
You're just guessing, you have no idea of the context of this photo (has anyone even stated which zoo (if any) it's in?) -for all you know those beneficial features you describe might actually be provided. Firstly, I've have no idea whether the features you describe are indicative of a "depressed" animal but maybe the " eye posture down, looks very deep" could be a result of it looking down to food or water. A still photo really doesn't provide enough evidence to conclude on how the animal is behaving in totality. I'm sure if I photographed a tapir (or human) several times over a day I'd get quite a few where they're looking downwards (hey, maybe to a trough or plate with food/water). I'm not saying it's not in poor conditions merely that you can't make the conclusions you have from the photograph. To the OP, I agree with others that it looks like a Mountain Tapir too and would love to know where/when it was taken and, if in a zoo, how it got there.
Although my first reaction was mountain tapir, the more I look at it and the more pictures I google the more I'm thinking it's a pretty furry specimen of Bairds' tapir. Anyone on this forum with a more definite answer?
It can't be ruled out that it might be a Baird's tapir, but it looks very much like a mountain tapir to me. The thick fur, rounded ears, and bright white lip are all recognizable features of a mountain tapir and not a Baird's; I think it would be highly coincidental that a Baird's tapir just happens to inherit all of those features.
Thanks for everyone, it is Beijing Zoo. Sorry I did not told you at first, because I thought the location would cloud your judgment. In fact, this tapir has been here for many years as a "Baird's tapir", and I have never doubt that. Only from the photo on #1 I found it was similar to a mountain tapir, so I post the photo here, and as expected, many friend had the same feeling with me. However, from another photo below, it seemed to be a Baird's tapir, just with thicker and deeper black fur than a normal Baird's tapir. According to records, the Baird's tapirs in Beijing Zoo origin from Mexico. The other tapirs looks very normal, only this one is quite special.
