Nice!!!!! I talked to the zoo about this. The lady told me just to let them know and there willing to let me see the mountain tapir behind the scenes!!!!
As of May 2013 they had one male and one female, a proven breeding pair. The one in the photo is the male. They are still off display, but are about to have a new home in the zoo's former lion exhibit.
This is a good example of a species where zoos face a dilemna. The population in captivity is not viable, and the animal is in trouble in the wild. A captive population, to act as both ambassadors for their species and as a potential source of knowledge, would be useful. The species has bred in captivity and with greater experience might do better. What should happen? Is the phase-out a wise idea?
This is a good example of a species where zoos face a dilemna. The population in captivity is not viable, and the animal is in trouble in the wild. A captive population, to act as both ambassadors for their species and as a potential source of knowledge, would be useful. The species has bred in captivity and with greater experience might do better. What should happen? Is the phase-out a wise idea?
I don't think that the phase-out is a desired one, but I know that the LA Zoo tried very hard to bring some more individuals in from South American zoos to bolster the North American population and was not able to do this for whatever reasons.
