An adorable five-day-old baby tapir cuddles close to its mother in their enclosure at Chester Zoo.
The calf, a boy, was born on Thursday morning weighing 5kg after a 13-month, or 391-day, pregnancy.
Staff at Chester Zoo have filmed the tapir, which is just the second to be born there, as it learns to walk and tries to eat the same food as its mother Margery.
During a three-minute long video, released by the zoo, the calf suckles from its mother and follows her around the enclosure.
The calf, a boy, was born on Thursday morning weighing 5kg after a 13-month, or 391-day, pregnancy
At one point Margery is enjoying some leaves when a branch falls on the calf. It then wanders around with leaves on its back before a gentle tumble gets rid of them
Baby tapirs have distinctive coats when first born, made up of a series of spots and stripes to help camouflage them on the forest floors in their native South East Asia
At one point Margery is enjoying some leaves when a branch falls on the calf. It then wanders around with leaves on its back before a gentle tumble gets rid of them.
Baby tapirs have distinctive coats when first born, made up of a series of spots and stripes to help camouflage them on the forest floors in their native South East Asia.
The pattern will slowly change over the next six months to the unique black and white colouring his parents have.
Around half of the world’s Malayan tapirs have been lost in the last 40 years, with fewer than 2,500 estimated to remain in the wild across Malaysia, Sumatra, Thailand and Myanmar.
Hunting, illegal logging and mass deforestation have been blamed for the decline.
Sarah Roffe, team manager, says the calf’s mum is attentive but also allows him space to roam
Sarah Roffe, team manager, said: ‘It’s wonderful to hear the pitter-patter of tiny, spotty Malayan tapir feet again for only the second time ever in the zoo’s long history.
‘Mum Margery is ever so good with the baby. She’s very attentive but also gives him the chance to explore and find his feet.
‘The precious calf is another big boost for the international breeding programme, which is working to ensure the already endangered species do not become extinct.
‘In the wild, the Malayan tapir population has crashed in recent times, largely due to the wide-spread conversion of their forest habitat to palm oil plantations.
‘If people want to help this wonderful species then we’d urge them to demand that the palm oil contained in the products they use is from sustainable sources.’
The Malayan tapir is related to both the horse and the rhinoceros. It is an ‘odd-toed’ or hoofed mammal, with four toes on each front foot and three on each back foot.
A competition has been opened by the zoo to ask members of the public to name the new arrival.
The Malayan tapir is related to both the horse and the rhinoceros. It is an ‘odd-toed’ or hoofed mammal, with four toes on each front foot and three on each back foot