The IUCN/SSC-affiliated Tapir Specialist Group is a global group of biologists, zoo professionals, researchers and advocates dedicated to conserving tapirs and their habitat through strategic action-planning in countries where tapirs live, information sharing, and through educational outreach that shows the importance of the tapir to local ecosystems and to the world at large.


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  Bairds Tapir Birth at Panama City's Summit Zoo

TSG member and Houston Zoo Community Programs Coordinator Alberto Mendoza reports the following from Summit Zoo veterinarian Dr. Celia Frias:

Day of birth: April 1, 2004
Time: Around 7:00a.m.
Sex: Female
Sire: Premier
Dam: Juanita

The calf is nursing and doing well. Juanita is a little skittish and nervous because this is her first calf. This calf is very healthy and active. Her mother “Juanita” is doing well too.

The Summit staff is very excited about this new addition to their collection and they named the calf “Houston” in honor of the Houston Zoo. (See New Tapir Exhibit at Summit Zoo)

“Houston” was officially introduced to local media on the same week that Alberto was visiting the Summit Zoo for followup work on the new tapir exhibit. Albatros Media did the footage of this report for the local news. They interviewed Dr. Celia Frias and Alberto about our project in the Summit and “Houston.”

Photos by Alberto Mendoza, taken late April, 2004--click on photos to enlarge

Houston nursing
Albatros Media of Panama conduct's Houston's first "interview"

 
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