San Diego

San Diego Zoo Welcomes Endangered Baird's Tapir Calf

It's the first Baird's tapir calf born at the San Diego Zoo in 30 years

Visitors to the San Diego Zoo are getting their first glimpse of a newborn, endangered tapir.

The zoo announced the birth of the Baird's tapir calf on Tuesday, although it was born two weeks ago.

The tapir is a pig-shaped, plant-eating mammal with a short snout. The baby has spots and stripes that in the wild would help camouflage it on forest floors in Mexico and Central America.

The unnamed newborn is being bottle-fed because its mother isn't able to care for it. The tapir weighed 22 pounds at birth and has been steadily gaining weight.

It's the first Baird's tapir calf born at the zoo in 30 years.

Copyright Associated Press / NBC 7 San Diego

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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