A pair of endangered tapirs was born hours apart at the National Zoo of Nicaragua, located in the department of Masaya, south of Managua, the authorities of that animal rescue center reported this Saturday.
A male and a female, still without names, were born at dawn on Friday and this Saturday in perfect health conditions, said the director of that center, Eduardo Sacasa.
The birth of the two animals in captivity occurs within the framework of a project that seeks to conserve this endangered species due to the destruction of its habitat and uncontrolled hunting, explained the expert on exotic animals.
The tapir mothers, Rosa and Colorada, started May, the month of mothers in Nicaragua, well accompanied by their young, both with brown stripes and white spots that will fade, little by little, when they are 6 months old.
“This is a recognition for our country of that effort that is made with a species that is extremely in danger of extinction,” said Sacasa.
The male tapir, weighing 17.4 pounds and the female, 17.8 pounds, will be released when they reach a certain age and with a location collar in a reserve in northeast Nicaragua, according to the authorities of the animal rescue center.
As if taken from a Christmas manger, so together these animals sneaked out of a zoo in Kansas.
In Nicaragua between 350 and 400 specimens of tapirs still live freely, however little by little, due to the destruction of their habitat, the slaughter and the sale of young, that number is decreasing.
A baby tapir is sold in the Pacific of Nicaragua, between $ 800 and $ 1,000, according to data from the National Zoo.
The Nicaragua Zoo has kept 22 tapirs born in captivity since the project began in 2004. At the beginning of the year, another tapir was born, bringing the total to three so far in 2021.
The animal had been badly injured by a fishing instrument that had gotten stuck in its tail.
Tapirs have a gestation period of up to 13 months and feed on vegetables, fruits and herbs, and can live in captivity from 35 to 40 years, while in their natural habitat their years are reduced to 12 or 13 years. according to the authorities of the National Zoo.
The tapir is an endangered species in Nicaragua, a country that stands out, however, for being where the tapirs breed the most in captivity.
The National Zoo maintains 945 species under protection, while they wait to be released.
A total of 35 people work in the maintenance of the animal center, including park rangers, guards, drivers and the administrative area, among others.
An average of 1,000 people enter the National Zoo on weekends, with Nicaraguans paying a symbolic dollar and foreigners four dollars.