Bandung Zoo Alert To Welcome The Birth Of Asian Tapir Babies

Bandung Zoo collection tapir. ANTARA/HO-YMT

JAKARTA - Bandung Zoo or the Bandung Zoo, at the end of 2025 is on standby to welcome the birth of the baby Tapir Asia (Tapirus indicus) from its parent named Tinuk.

"Hopefully everything goes well and Tinuk, as well as his future children are healthy," said the spokesman for the Tamansari Usly Rangkuti Wildlife Foundation in Bandung, Friday, as reported by Antara.

For the zoo in the heart of Bandung, he said, tapir birth has always been a special moment. Not only because tapir is an animal that rarely gives birth, but also because its existence in nature is now increasingly pressed.

He explained that Tinuk arrived in Bandung in 2015 brought from the Bogor Indonesian Safari Park (TSI) through the animal exchange mechanism. This is a tangible manifestation of good collaboration with the preservation of rare animals between TSI Bogor and Bandung Zoo at that time.

In April 2022 Tinuk and his partner Marcel gave birth to a female child named Darpa Muda. Now both have added new hope to this species.

Tapir has a long garden period, about 13-14 months. Usually only one child is born in one period, explained Ully. That's why every birth is very valuable.

Since 2012 Bandung Zoo has recorded about 10 Asian Tapir births. Achievements are not easy, considering these animals are sensitive and slow to reproduce.

The Asian tapir is the largest type of four tapir species in the world, as well as the only one living in Asia. His appearance is unique with a body like a large white scarf that divides the front and back of his black body.

The wrinkles are long and flexible, functioning to reach for hard-to-reach leaves or fruit, while helping them breathe while diving in the water.

But behind that uniqueness, he said, tapir retains an important role for the forest. This shy animal is called a "forest garden carp" because it helps spread seeds from the fruits it eats.

From tapir impurities, the growth of new treelets, inherits healthy forests for the next generation.

Cooperation between conservation institutions, said Ully, is the key in maintaining the sustainability of these animals. Collaboration between zoos/saffari parks, conservation centers, academics/researchers, communities, and media in various regions needs to be strengthened, ranging from animal exchange, genetic research, to public education about the importance of tapir role in forest ecosystems.

He said this joint effort can ensure that the tapir population remains sustainable, both in controlled environments, and in its natural habitat.