Rare Malayan tapir is born at Chester Zoo

The boy calf arrived to proud parents seven-year-old Margery and six-year-old Betong on Thursday, July 18.

Weighing just 5kg at birth the youngster, whose name will be determined by zoo visitors, arrives following a 13-month pregnancy.

Baby tapirs have distinctive coats made up of a series of spots and stripes to help camouflage them on the forest floors in their native South East Asia.

This pattern will slowly change over the first six months to the unique black and white pattern of their parents.

Team manager Sarah Roffe said: “It’s wonderful to hear the pitter-patter of tiny, spotty Malayan tapir feet again for only the second time ever in the zoo’s long history.

“Mum Margery is ever so good with the baby.

"She’s very attentive but also gives him chance to explore and find his feet.

“The precious calf is another big boost for the international breeding programme, which is working to ensure the already endangered species do not become extinct.

"In the wild, the Malayan tapir population has crashed in recent times, largely due to the wide-spread conversion of their forest habitat to palm oil plantations.

"If people want to help this wonderful species then we’d urge them to demand that the palm oil contained in the products they use is from sustainable sources.”

Chester Zoo gives a first glimpse of its super-cute new baby tapir

It is estimated that fewer than 2,500 Malayan tapirs remain across Malaysia, Sumatra, Thailand and Myanmar with illegal logging and mas deforestation blamed for the decline in their numbers.

To celebrate the youngster’s arrival, keepers at Chester Zoo are inviting people to vote for his name via a poll on the zoo’s Facebook page:

www.facebook.com/chesterzoo1