Mia searches for her next snack.

Our newest Baird’s tapir will be ready to greet you with her long, flexible snout when Rainforest Revealed opens later this year! Mia, who arrived at the Zoo on June 20, is just over a year old and is already showing keepers how much she loves their attention.

Coming to us from BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo, Mia is said by keepers to be “like a sponge” when it comes to training, as she’s already learned to sit, lay down and open her mouth, among other things; training is important because it not only helps establish a healthy relationship between Mia and her keepers, but also aids our husbandry practices. Although she and older female Josie are our only tapir residents right now, we plan to acquire a male to pair with Mia in hopes of having Baird’s tapir calves in the future!

Mia will live behind the scenes until her Rainforest Revealed habitat is complete. But not to worry, she is getting lots of love and attention (and strawberries, her favorite food) from keepers in the meantime!

The Baird’s tapir is considered endangered and all tapir species are threatened due to habitat loss and hunting pressure. We’re supported tapir conservation since 2002, helping organizations like Lowland Tapir Conservation Initiative carry out research on these unique species.

Growing up to 700 pounds, the Baird’s tapir is the largest land mammal in Latin America. The tapir’s closest living relatives are horses and rhinoceroses.