Tapirs (extant/living species; Tapirus spp.) Fact Sheet: Managed Care

Tapirs in zoos

• Lowland tapir most common species in managed care
• Mountain tapir is extremely rare – only 4 zoos exhibit this species (from 2009):
  • L.A. = 5
  • S.F. = 2
  • Cheyenne Mountain Zoo 2
  • Mountain View Conservation and Breeding, Fort Langley BC, Canada = 2
• Baird's tapir (Jan. 2011-May 2012, in AZA 2011):
  • 125 individuals (not including 2 juveniles or unknown gender) in 48 AZA institutions
  • 80 males; 45 females
• Malayan/Asian tapir (Jan. 2011-May 2012, in AZA 2013):
  • 49 individuals
  • 23 males; 26 females
• At San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
  • Baird's tapir:
    • Currently (Jan. 2011-May 2012, in AZA 2011): 1 male; 1 female
  • Malayan/Asian tapir:
    • First, a male and a female, aquired in 1940
    • Currently (as of Jan. 2013, in AZA 2013): 1 male; 1 female
• First record in managed care – T. terrestris at the London Zoo 1828.
• Successful in multi-species exhibits : can co-exist with capybaras, agoutis rheas, storks egrets, geese, maned wolves and small primates.
• Breed well into their 20’s. A female T. indicus at the San Diego Zoo gave birth to 15th offspring at age 30 (Barongi 1993).
• Record life span = 35 years T. terrestris at miejski Ogrod Zoologiczny (Wroclaw, Poland).

Tapirs at the San Diego Zoo

• Read about "Trudy" the tapir

Tapirs have a fondness for swimming and wallowing in mud.

These exhibit elements should be offered to individuals housed in managed care.

Image credit: © San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. All rights reserved.

AZA (2011)
AZA (2013)
Barongi (1993)
Todd and Matola (2001)