A very relaxed tapir
in the San Francisco Zoo,
San Francisco, California


Photos by Sheryl Todd, about 1970
Both photos show the same male tapir, possibly a Baird's/lowland hybrid. We were told that an offspring of the zoo's first-generation hybrid lived in the lake compound, which is where the photos above were taken. Most of the dark spots under his jaw are leaves.
Most tapirs, if not all, love to be scratched. When this happens, they will sit, then stretch luxuriously and eventually fall over. That's what happened to this guy. I don't recommend getting your hands anywhere near a tapir's mouth, though. Sometimes they will bite.
All tapirs are endangered species.
Saving tapirs helps save the rainforest.
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