See this adorable tiny newborn tapir

Is there anything cuter than a newborn tapir? With their funny snout noses and patterned fur, they look like little humbugs.

Thu, 07 Aug, 2014 - 01:00

Chester Zoo have just welcomed the birth of baby lowland tapir Zathras. This adorable little thing was born on Monday to mum Jenny. Her baby is the first male born at the zoo in eight years.

A tapir born at Chester Zoo — (Chester Zoo)

Tim Rowlands, from the zoo, said: “Our new calf, Zathras, was up and about really quickly and he and mum are doing fine. Jenny is an experienced mum and she’s doing a top job.”

Zathras’s white stripes and spots will eventually disappear when he grows to around six to nine months, and become a brown coat.

The tapir born at Chester Zoo — (Chester Zoo)

“The markings act as camouflage in the wild – mimicking speckled sunlight on the forest floor,” Rowlands says. “He won’t be little for long though as new youngsters tend to double their weight in the first 14-21 days alone.”

The newborn should grow to around two metres in length and stand at two foot tall. Interestingly, their closest relatives are rhinos and horses.

Zathras was the first male born at the zoo for eight years — (Chester Zoo)

They’re a very civilised creatures though, they’ll only poo in water.

Lowland tapirs live in wet forests and grasslands in several South American countries, but they are considered vulnerable to extinction. The species is hunted for their meat and hide, which is used to make sandals, and much of their natural habitat has been destroyed.

But a conservation initiative is researching information about behaviour patterns and movements of tapirs in several key areas of Brazil. It’s hoped this research will help safeguard the future of the species.