Don’t forget to caper, because today is for the tapir! There are currently only seven mountain tapir in human care in the United States, two of which live here at CMZoo! Join us as we celebrate World Tapir Day with our mountain tapir, 17-year-old male, Cofan, and 26-year-old female, Carlotta.
Thanks to the support of our members, #CMZoo works with frontline conservationists in Ecuador to try to save critically endangered mountain tapir in the wild. In December 2019, four CMZoo staff members traveled to Ecuador to study wild tapir. (ICYMI: [ Ссылка ]) There, they attached GPS collars to five wild tapir in the hopes of using the data collected to define their roaming ranges. Conservationists hope to establish protections for tapir's threatened natural habitats by presenting that data to decision makers. CMZoo funds dedicated to tapir conservation in 2020 weren't fully used due to the pandemic, so our tapir team is looking forward to continuing their work in Ecuador with that financial support.
Although they might resemble furry elephants with their trunk-like noses, tapir's closest relatives are horses and rhinos. They use their proboscises as ‘spoons’ to help them scoop vegetation and other food into their mouths. Even more than food, Cofan and Carlotta love chin scratches. If you're planning a visit to the Zoo today, swing by to see this rare species. You may even get to give them a scratch yourself!
