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Los Angeles Zoo 2003 - Mountain Tapir exhibit

  • Media owner Baldur
  • Date added
April 2003

Mountain Tapir exhibit.
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This is another animal where someone has to decide what to do with the animals held in captivity, because as they stand they are not self-supporting.

Whether they should go back to a centre in a host-range country, or more animals brought in from the wild is a moot point. What do others think?

The decision was made by the AZA some years ago to let this tapir species disappear from zoos because the zoo population is not sustainable. I think that the last few individuals will live out their lives in zoos, and then this species will be no more in U.S. zoos. The LA Zoo did make an effort to get some additional individuals from South American zoos, but sadly it did not work out.
 
Its not likely that anymore will be imported into the states. CITES permits would be very difficult to obtain as this is a species that is unique and interesting aside from its rarity, will never be a self sustaining population. Even in the countries where they occur, zoos have had a very difficult time obtaining them.
 
The species is highly endangered and zoos are the only option to keep a backup population in captivity. History shows that inbreeding mustn't be bad, there are enough examples around us, for example Milu, Barbary lion, Euopean bison, Addra gazelle. Inbreeding is only bad when the parents have an genetic defect.
Maybe it's the last chance to save this species from extinction.
 

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Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens
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Baldur
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