Alma Park Zoo (Closed) Only tapir in Queensland!

Malayan Tapir fit so perfectly into the South-east Asian precincts that so many Australasian collections have developed - they are endangered, unusual, generally active enough to be interesting for average visitors, and can be used as a ungulate/herbivore/prey species from the region, a role that can currently only be filled by deer species (although only Taronga appears to be using them as such).

As such, it is a huge shame that they are to be lost from the regional collection, although I understand why and hope that this allows Brazilian Tapirs to become better established in their place (although not in their exhibits per se).
 
it doesn't seem likely that Brazilian tapirs will become better established unfortunately, given the numbers quoted in this thread :(
 
Chlidonias said:
no doubt true but the benefit of hindsight is a wonderful thing, and I rather suspect that the problem wasn't even noticed at first (until it had already occurred and was therefore unfixable).
Click to expand...

Yes you are probably right, buut I dont see why, now that the problem is known, it nessitates a phase out.
 
Artiodactyls ( pigs, deer, antelopes etc.) are a no-no for importation into Australia, but Perissodactyls ( horses, rhinos and tapirs) are allowed entry. As a cynic, I believe that this is because the horse racing industry has a lot of clout in high places.

Consequently, it would not be difficult to import fresh blood to bolster the Brazilian tapir population in Australia.

When it comes to Malay tapirs, I think that there must be more to the blindness problem than just too much light. It's frustrating; no-one seems to know. Do they have such problems in the U.S., for example?
 
Campbell said:
Current Brazilian Tapir numbers:
0:1 Taronga
1:0 Alma Park
1:1 Mogo
0:2 Adelaide
1:0 Melbourne
Click to expand...

I appreciate there is probably a high relatedness between individuals, however very limited breeding opportunities.
 
Ara said:
Artiodactyls ( pigs, deer, antelopes etc.) are a no-no for importation into Australia, but Perissodactyls ( horses, rhinos and tapirs) are allowed entry. As a cynic, I believe that this is because the horse racing industry has a lot of clout in high places.

Consequently, it would not be difficult to import fresh blood to bolster the Brazilian tapir population in Australia.

When it comes to Malay tapirs, I think that there must be more to the blindness problem than just too much light. It's frustrating; no-one seems to know. Do they have such problems in the U.S., for example?
Click to expand...

Reviving the thread a little!

What is the current state with tapirs in Australia/New Zealand?
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
Reviving the thread a little!

What is the current state with tapirs in Australia/New Zealand?
Click to expand...
exactly the same as before (and, as CGSwans says, "terminal").

Malayan Tapirs:
Four animals left: a male imported from Toronto Zoo (Canada) in 1996, a female imported from Henry Doorly Zoo (USA) in 1998, a female born at Taronga in 1999, and a female born at Adelaide in 2000. None of these will be bred from again and once they are gone that's it.

Brazilian Tapir:
In Australia there are three males and four females. All are related, most are now elderly, and none are in breeding situations. If new animals are imported (which is on the cards) then a couple of these existing tapirs could be bred from.

In NZ there are two old animals (23 and 24 years old) which are from the Australian population.
 
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