Born last Sunday, Feb. 2, to mom Yuna, little Ume sports the signature white spots and stripes of a newborn tapir, making her look like a tiny, fuzzy watermelon. 🍉 Mom and baby are thriving behind the scenes, and we can’t wait to share more updates soon. pic.twitter.com/T9qH8UabmS
How is it possible that baby Ume keeps getting cuter? This fuzzy little watermelon is just ten days old and had some zoomies while trying to nurse from mom behind the scenes. Watch until the end to see 900-pound Yuna roll over so her playful tapir calf can nurse. Such a good mom! pic.twitter.com/PIN2cWTa9O
The adorable tapir calf is already mastering the art of wiggling its tiny trunk. 🥰 Baby tapirs use their tiny trunks for sniffing, exploring, and even grasping small objects. Their trunks are an extended upper lip and nose, which helps them sense their surroundings and forage. pic.twitter.com/k66B9FvaSY
— Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium (@PtDefianceZoo) February 8, 2025
Sleepy baby:
The growing baby tapir is very sleepy. 😴 Tapirs have a third eyelid, or nictitating membrane, that lubricates and protects the eye.
Common Name: Tapirs Scientific Name: Tapiridae Type: Mammals Diet: HerbivoreGroup Average Life Span In The Wild: 25 to 30 years Size: Height at shoulder: 29 to 42 inches Weight: 500 to 800 pounds Size relative to a 6-ft man:
Tapirs look something like pigs with trunks, but they are actually related to horses and rhinoceroses. This eclectic lineage is an ancient one—and so is the tapir itself. Scientists believe that these animals have changed little over tens of millions of years.
Behavior
Tapirs have a short prehensile (gripping) trunk, which is really an extended nose and upper lip. They use this trunk to grab branches and clean them of leaves or to help pluck tasty fruit. Tapirs feed each morning and evening. During these hours they follow tunnel-like paths, worn through the heavy brush by many a tapir footstep, to reach water holes and lush feeding grounds. As they roam and defecate they deposit the seeds they have consumed and promote future plant growth.
Life in the Water
Though they appear densely built, tapirs are at home in the water and often submerge to cool off. They are excellent swimmers and can even dive to feed on aquatic plants. They also wallow in mud, perhaps to remove pesky ticks from their thick hides.
Tapir Species
New World tapirs generally live in the forests and grasslands of Central and South America. A notable exception is the mountain (or woolly) tapir, which lives high in the Andes Mountains. Woolly tapirs, named for their warm and protective coat, are the smallest of all tapirs.
The world’s biggest tapir is found in the Old World—Southeast Asia. The black-and-white Malay tapir can grow to 800 pounds. It inhabits the forests and swamps of Malaysia and Sumatra.
All tapir species are at-risk largely due to hunting and habitat loss.
