Tapir Talk Archives

30 May 1997

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    ___  __                   Digest   30 May 1997 - Vol. 1, No. 20
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The Tapir Preservation Fund

The Tapir Gallery: http://www.tapirback.com/tapirgal/
Tapir Talk Archives and Info: http://www.tapirback.com/tapirgal/tt.htm
E-mail: tapir@tapirback.com
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TAPIR TALK   -  30 May 1997   -   Vol. 1, No. 20

Contents of this issue:
    1. Tapirs in Spanish, part II
    2. The last mountain tapir in Europe
    3. Mountain tapirs in captivity
    4. Fire-stomping - very rare



Return-Path: 
Date: Thu, 29 May 1997 19:21:13 -0400 (EDT)
From: LEONARDO SALAS 
Subject: Re: Tapir Talk Digest - 29 May 1997 - Vol. 1, No. 19
To: tapir@tapirback.com (Tapir)

> The Mountain Tapir poster from Ecuador featured on Sheryl's
> web site has inspired a question about the Spanish language.
> Is the Spanish word for tapir ("la danta") always feminine?  
> In other words, are both male and female tapirs "dantas?"  
> Or is there a male equivalent like "el dante" or "el danto?" 

In Spanish it is also called "tapir" (with the phonetical 
pronounciation of the vowels). That is "el tapir". The name "danta" I 
belive comes from the Portuguese name "anta". That is "la anta".
We also call it "el danto" when it's about a male that we're talking 
about.

> !Muchas gracias por su ayuda!

De nada.

Chao

Leo Salas

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Return-Path: 
X-Sender: tapir@tapirback.com
To: tapir@tapirback.com
From: Tapir 
Subject: Tapir Talk
Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 14:37:34 -0600

Hello Tapir Friends,

MOUNTAIN TAPIRS IN CAPTIVITY: 

Recently I learned from the Wilhelma Zoo in Stuttgart, Germany, that their
mountain tapir, the last mountain tapir in Europe, was euthanized on January
29, 1997. She was suffering painful problems of old age. She was at their
zoo 27 years, 8 months, 21 days. This appears to be the record for a
mountain tapir in captivity. The Los Angeles Zoo had a male for 23 years, 10
months, 14 days. He died January 23, 1991, and sired 15 offspring. I don't
think the one in Germany had a chance to breed, since the two males they had
died after a short time. I still don't have complete data on the history of
T. pinchaque in Europe.

With the death of the tapir in Germany, there are five known captive
mountain tapirs, all belonging to Los Angeles. One older pair is kept at the
L.A. Zoo, while three more are on loan to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in
Colorado Springs, Colorado. These (2.1) are young and hopefully will breed,
although they are all siblings and the line is inbred. Since this species
can no longer be brought out of the countries of origin, things look very
grim for any kind of captive breeding program outside their native
countries. Los Angeles has bred a total of 22 mountain tapirs, all derived
from one original pair.

I have heard second-hand that a zoo currently being designed (or
re-designed?) in Quito plans to keep and breed mountain tapirs. I have not
had confirmation first-hand from that zoo.

I would be interested in hearing discussion and ideas about whether it is
possible or even advisable for ex-situ breeding programs to be considered
involving this species, or is their only hope preservation in the wild
(which should be top priority in any case, I would imagine)? Does anyone
know how many pair would constitute a "good" gene pool? I read that for
tigers, 26 pair is about the minimum "ideal" number.

FIRE STOMPING:

I have had no additional reports on fire-stomping tapirs. I also asked
memers of the MAMMAL-L listserv about this behavior in any ungulates. I had
only one reply - someone hoping I would hear something! One person reminded
me of the rhinos in the film, "The Gods Must Be Crazy." I'd forgotten the
scene - where rhinos entered the camp after dark, stomped out the fire and
left. I don't know whether that was staged (or how you would stage it!) or
if this is actually an ungulate behavior seen at least once in rhinos and
once in tapirs! If there are any more examples out there, I haven't heard them.

Sheryl


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sheryl Todd  ~  The Tapir Gallery  ~  Tapir Preservation Fund    
http://www.tapirback.com/tapirgal/        tapir@tapirback.com 
Tapir Talk info & archives: http://www.tapirback.com/tapirgal/tt.htm
Co-Editor, IUCN/SSC Tapir Specialist Group Newsletter
P.O. Box 1432, Palisade, CO 81526 USA    Fax (970) 464-0377
"Promoting the Welfare of Tapirs Everywhere"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


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