Cuteness Quotient: Newborn Tapir Feels His Oats At ZooTampa

TAMPA, FL -- It doesn't get much cuter than this little guy.

For the staff at ZooTampa at Lowry Park, it was a December to remember when Ubi, an endangered Malayan tapir, delivered a healthy calf early in the morning on Dec. 17. This is the fourth calf for Ubi and her mate, Albert. And it is the Ubi's fourth baby and the 12th Malayan tapir born at ZooTampa.

With less than 50 Malayan tapirs in human care in North America, this birth is critical to securing a safety net for a species facing extinction.

While tapirs (pronounced TEY-per) are usually solitary by nature, the animal care team at the zoo has developed a strong bond with Ubi. While she was pregnant, she was treated to special prenatal care by the medical team that included regular ultrasounds and lots of belly scratches.

“The strong bonds that the animal care team has with the animals enable higher quality of care for each animal," said Chris Massaro, general curator at ZooTampa.

The Malayan tapir, though sometimes mistaken for a relative of a pig or anteater, is a close relative of the rhinoceros and horse. A tapir calf will have a very distinctive coat pattern when first born, made up of a series of spots and stripes to help camouflage the baby. This coat pattern will slowly change over six months to the unique black and white pattern of the parents.

Known as “living fossils,” this unique, endangered species is the most primitive large mammal in the world, dating back 20 million years. Due to hunting and habitat loss, however, the species population has progressively declined.

Ubi arrived at ZooTampa in 2008 and Albert arrived in 2013. They are part of the zoo’s effort to conserve the Malayan tapir through the Species Survival Plan (SSP) of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Zoo members can can see this little guy up close and learn all about Malayan tapirs during the January ZooU event Jan. 23 at 4:30 p.m. at the zoo, 101 W, Sligh Ave., Tampa.

ZooU is a members-only speaker series in which members can learn more about wildlife and field work from the experts. After class, members enjoy an exclusive animal enrichment time and a question-and-answer session with the animal care professionals.

Individual memberships are $99 and a family membership is $179. They include a variety of benefits. To learn more about zoo memberships, click here.

Wildlife photographer, photojournalist and generous contributor to Patch, Matt Marriott, was lucky enough to get an exclusive photo session with mom and baby. To see more of Marriott's work, click here.

This Malayan tapir calf ,born just a few days ago, rings in a brighter future for this endangered species.

On a scale of 1 - 10, how loud did you squeal when its nose wiggled? pic.twitter.com/JF36byYHCY