Brookfield Zoo’s 2-Month-Old South American Tapir Calf Now Outdoors
July 24, 2022
Brookfield, Ill. — Guests visiting Brookfield Zoo can now see a South American tapir calf, who turned 2 months old on July 22, in his outdoor habitat, located on the north side of Pachyderm House. While getting acclimated to his new surroundings, he, and his mother Sorghum (SOAR-gum) also will have access to their indoor space.
One characteristic that zoogoers will notice are the calf’s white stripes that serve as an excellent camouflage. Baby tapirs are born with the stripes, which will begin to fade in a few months, and are completely gone by 6 months of age. Currently, the male calf weighs approximately 70 pounds. He will reach full size at about 18 months of age and could weigh as much as 500 pounds.
Those interested in helping care for the South American at Brookfield Zoo can contribute to the Animal Adoption program. For $35, a recipient receives the Basic Package, which includes a 5-inch x 7-inch color photograph of a tapir, a personalized certificate of adoption, a tapir fact sheet, an Animal Adoption program decal, and an invitation to the exclusive Animal Adoption summer event. To purchase, visit www.CZS.org/AnimalAdoption.
(video credit: Lynette Kleisner/CZS-Brookfield Zoo)
(photo credit Jim Schulz/CZS-Brookfield Zoo)
In case you missed the calf’s birth announcement here on ZooBorns: https://www.zooborns.com/zooborns/2022/05/south-american-tapir-born-at-brookfield-zoo.html