By Leela Perez-Cobo
Baby animals of all shapes and sizes make hearts melt. However, the kittens, puppies and bat pups may have to step aside for the newborn Malayan tapir at Point Defiance Zoo who outshines them all. Reader warning: Ume may kick nurturing instincts into high gear.
The Malayan tapir (pronounced tay-purr) is an endangered species. This four-legged animal has a fuzzy coat, hooves, extended snout and rounded ears. According to the Tapir Specialist Group, although tapirs may physically look related to anteaters, it is the rhino and the horse that are the tapir’s closest living ancestors. A typical tapir diet is a diverse mix of fruits, vegetables, shrubbery, leaves and seeds. The Malaysian Wildlife Organization reports that tapir endangerment is primarily due to human activity. Urbanization, poaching and increased global human movement threaten tapirs in their natural habitats in South America and Southeast Asia. This is troublesome, partly because tapirs are categorized by the Tapir Specialist Group as an umbrella species, implying that tapir existence in habitats not only is beneficial to their species but uplifts the other neighboring species in the ecosystem including monkeys, deer, reptiles and birds.
Peter Hodum, University of Puget Sound professor of biology and environmental studies and sciences, discussed the importance of habitats and growing awareness of human impact on species conservation. He explains that if people “protect species X, the consequence of that is going to be kind of by default, the protection of all these other species that coexist with species X.” It is important that these species be cared for in order to maintain their habitats, animal well-being and survival as a globally jeopardized species.
This is the second tapir born in the 120 years of Point Defiance Zoo history. The newborn is not only a joy but a sign of hope for the species’ survival in future years. Speaking on zoos being utilized as places of conservations, Hodum shared that a “well done zoo has an intentional, effective, accessible, education and outreach program that can actually make significant contributions to awareness of support for conservation and concrete actions to maintaining these captive populations over long periods of time, sometimes many generations.” This is something that the Point Defiance Zoo values and pridefully shares in caring for all of their animals. “Zoos can play a role in encouraging people to support those efforts,” Hodum said, “to restore habitat, to maintain habitat, to maintain species diversity.” Awareness, action and appreciation for natural life can be felt anywhere! It could be a backyard, a forest, a creek or a city setting. For many, though, exposure starts at the zoo — baby tapir included.
The Point Defiance Zoo announced the calf’s gender and name on their official X (formerly Twitter) account on Feb. 11. They shared that the newborn is … a GIRL! The calf’s name, Ume (chosen by tapir’s zoo staff) translates to “plum blossom and apricot in Japanese,” according to the post. As of Feb. 20, they shared through their Twitter that Ume has her first tooth. Cuteness uncontainable, Ume has quickly become an online sensation. The zoo staff and keepers have shared many videos of her on their official Tiktok, X and Instagram platforms, highlighting the sweet mother-calf connection, high-pitched chirps of glee, and giving a sneak-peek of the care happening behind zoo walls. Social media accounts online have gone tapir-crazy, including the official X Ume Fan Page, which reposts videos of the calf with heart eyes emojis.
The recent announcement that Ume will become viewable to zoo guests in the upcoming spring has caused tension surrounding conscientious zoo practices. Some zoo-goers may struggle with the ethical dilemmas surrounding how soon the newborn should be introduced to the public and the implications of close human proximity. Hodum counteracts ethical dilemmas with an important reminder of the Point Defiance Zoo staff’s integrity and prioritization of animal care. Good zoo practice, he said, would be to monitor newborn behavior in addition to “look at things like feeding, and look at the behavior before and after,” to see there are any changes in Ume’s needs. “If it’s not harmful to her, then you should enjoy it, and not feel guilty about it.” Welcome to the world, Ume!