World Tapir Day: Bandung Zoo Successfully Develops Tenuk Tapir Financing Program

BANDUNG - Sunday, April 27, is celebrated worldwide as Tapir Day (World Tapir Day). This momentum is also celebrated at Bandung Zoo with various educational activities, such as Keeper Talk, which aims to raise public awareness of the importance of Tapir conservation, one of the unique animals that has an important role in maintaining ecosystem balance.

In Keeper Talk, Tapir's keepers share direct experiences with visitors about Tapir's treatment, this unique animal's habits, and the types of leaves that serve as food. Tapir, a herbivora whose natural habitat is in Sumatra, has a distinctive behavior and diet.

Globally, there are four types of Tapir, three of which live in South America and one type spread across Southeast Asia, namely Tapir Asia or Tapir tenuk (Tapirus indicus).

Bandung Zoo is known as one of the successful conservation institutions in the Tapir tenuk breeding program. Currently, the zoo cares for ten tapir tenuk.

In the last five years, there have been three births of Tapir tenuk children from two different mothers. Tapir tenuk's gestation period is quite long, between 13 and 14 months, with an average of one child born every pregnancy.

The success of Bandung Zoo in breeding Tapir is proof of the team's commitment and expertise in creating an optimal environment for the welfare and reproduction of protected animals.

As an ex-situ conservation institution located in the middle of Bandung City, Bandung Zoo is lucky to have natural vegetation that supports the success of the Tapir breeding program.

Tapir plays an important role in forest regeneration as a natural seed spreader. By eating fruits and distributing seeds through dirt, Tapir contributes directly to biodiversity and ecosystem health.

However, efforts to reduce Tapir face a number of challenges. One of them is the slow reproduction rate.

"Betina usually only gives birth to one child every two years. This makes the population increase in captivity a slow process and requires patience and careful management," said the Bandung Zoo veterinarian, drh. Dedi Trisasongko.

In addition, even though the captivity environment has been optimized, there is no guarantee that the Tapir pair will successfully mate. Factors such as individual match and hormonal conditions also greatly affect the success of reproduction.

To overcome these challenges, Bandung Zoo continues to develop well-managed breeding programs, improve habitat quality, and collaborate with various parties focused on conservation.

Through the commemoration of World Tapir Day, Bandung Zoo hopes that the public will increasingly understand the importance of Tapir's existence for the ecosystem and is encouraged to support its conservation efforts.

"In the future, Bandung Zoo hopes to continue to improve the success of the Tapir breeding program, expand public education and awareness about Tapir conservation, and strengthen collaboration with other conservation institutions and the government to support the preservation of Tapir in its natural habitat," said Bandung Zoo Public Relations Officer, Ully Rangkuti.