Baby Baku, the two-month old endangered tapir calf born at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo, is growing up big and strong – not to mention full of adventure – judging by a recent video. Already doubled in size, keepers have filmed the calf in a boisterous mood trying to persuade his dad Mowgli to have some fun.
The video shows a lively Baku running around and jumping over his father, who just seems to want to nap. Undeterred, the young calf persistently nudges his dad and leaps over him in an effort to get him to play along.
Karen Stiven, Hoofstock Team Leader at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo, said: “Baku has already grown so much and he has stolen our hearts with his charming nature. The footage of him trying to coax his dad into playtime is pretty typical of his personality. He is normally very busy exploring his large outdoor enclosure and is always running around and having fun. His distinctive spots and stripes have recently started to fade slightly and by the time he is six months old he will look more like the adult tapirs – with a stocky black body and a white or grey midsection.”
Listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, the Malayan tapir is increasingly threatened, with population numbers continuing to decline as a result of habitat loss and fragmentation as well as increasing hunting pressure. The population has been estimated to have declined by more than 50% in the last three generations (36 years), primarily as a result of tapir habitat being converted into palm oil plantations.
The video of Baku playing with his father can be found here.
Photo credit: RZSS/Katie Paton
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