Tapir Calf Makes Public Debut at MnZoo

The baby boom at the Minnesota Zoo is still in full swing: This past Thursday, zoo fans got their first glimpse of the organization's newest resident, a Malayan tapir (pronounced tay-purr) calf. The tapir baby is the zoo's first in two decades. 

The calf was born to her mother, "Bertie," on Saturday, July 20, 2013. Until Thursday, the public was limited to experiencing her young life through a special webcam. A naming contest is still in the works.

The Malayan Tapir is one of the most endangered species in Southeast Asia, due to encroachment on their habitat from by palm oil plantations. 

This is just the most recent birth at the zoo in 2013. The Minnesota Zoo has also heralded the arrival of two Asian wild horse foals, penguin chicks, Bongo calves, and a baby sloth.