A baby tapir was born at Antwerp zoo during the night between Thursday and Friday. The nursery was set up in the main stable and mother and baby have been getting visitors since Friday. "This is the sixth baby tapir born here," announced the Antwerp zoo in a statement.
Nakal and Kamal, the zoo's Malayan tapirs' first baby, was born at 1:24am after a 13-month pregnancy. The birth was uncomplicated and the baby is suckling well and already on its feet, added the zoo.
The newborn, still known as "Q" weighs 9kg and is 35 times smaller than its parents. It looks, however, nothing like its parents, with its brown stripy skin and white spots. Over the course of the next six months, its skin will get darker and the brown will even out.
The Malayan tapir is the largest of the tapirs. It's an endangered species and has trouble reproducing in captivity.
(Source: Belga)
