1st Male Tapir Born At S'pore Night Safari In Nearly 10 Years Is So Cute I Wanna Squish It
His name is Bintang.
By Tamara Jayne — 26 Aug 2020, 12:30 PM
Singapore's Night Safari has just welcomed the cutest littlest guy to its family – a Malayan baby tapir!
His name is Bintang. And he has the softest brown eyes. Just look at 'em.
According to Mothership, the calf is the first male Malayan tapir born at the Night Safari in nearly a decade.
Bintang was born on 28 June, however, Wildlife Reserves Singapore recently shared a Facebook video of the tender moment his mother gave birth to him.
Bintang is the 32nd tapir calf to join the family. In July 2019, a female baby tapir named Sutera was born.
Tapir calves are born brown with adorable white spots and stripes that help them camouflage with forest floors during their vulnerable age.
Over the course of six months, their pattern begins to gradually change into the solid black and white coat that we see on adult tapirs.
Malayan tapirs are listed as an endangered species.
In Malaysia, especially, these creatures are often killed due to deforestation and poaching.
Malaysian Wildlife also notes that the tapir has poor eyesight, making it an easy target on highways.
As a result, it is reported that there are only about 2,500 Malayan tapirs left in the world.
So it's truly a celebration when a new calf is born!
