Taipei Zoo welcomes newborn Malayan tapir calf

Taipei, Aug. 25 (CNA) A Malayan tapir at the Taipei Zoo named Putri and the female calf it gave birth to on Aug. 17 are both healthy and have been doing well in the week since the calf was born, the zoo said Tuesday.

The zoo gave the update to CNA after announcing the birth of the calf on Monday, and it said it would provide another update in two to three weeks given the calf's rapid growth.

In its statement Monday, the zoo said the calf -- the second offspring of Putri and 12-year-old male Malayan tapir Mosu (貘樹) -- was born at 11:51 p.m. on Aug. 17, and it fed on its mother's milk for the first time in the early hours of Aug. 18.

While Putri was eating breakfast, zoo staff took the opportunity to conduct the calf's first health check and found the calf to be slightly nervous during the examination.

The female calf weighed 8.6 kilograms, about the same as her older brother Treeda, who was born in 2023, at birth. She had a body length of 72.5 centimeters and a head length of 23.8 cm, according to the zoo.

After the examination, veterinarians treated Putri's umbilical cord while the calf sat quietly beside her mother.

As mother and calf are especially sensitive to their surroundings after birth, the zoo prepared a quiet, comfortable space to allow Putri to care for her newborn calf.

The zoo began pairing Putri with Mosu for breeding last year. Keepers confirmed Putri's pregnancy during a routine ultrasound training session in November 2025.

Beginning in July, veterinarians conducted weekly ultrasound examinations to monitor the fetus' heartbeat, growth, position and posture.

On Aug. 11, veterinarians observed that Putri's amniotic fluid had decreased, indicating that birth was imminent. She gave birth six days later.

(By Yang Shu-min and Lee Chieh-yu) enditem/ls