Grace The Tapir Settling Into New Home At the Belize Zoo

The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center has a delightful new addition. Meet Grace, a one-month-old Tapir calf who was separated from her mother during a wildfire in La Gracia. A local farmer found her and brought her to safety. After a week of care at the Belize Wildlife and Referral Clinic, Grace is now in quarantine at the Belize Zoo. She’s set to make her grand debut on International Tapir Day in April. Today, we got an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the zoo to see what’s next for Grace. Here’s News Five’s Paul Lopez with the story.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

“Today we are at the Belize Zoo to me one of its newest members, a tapir calf named Grace. Grace was rescued in the La Gracia Community. Reports are that she was separated from her mother because of wildfire.”

 

Newborn tapirs sport a cute brown coat adorned with white spots and stripes. These markings act as natural camouflage, helping them blend into their surroundings and stay safe from predators. Over time, these spots and stripes gradually fade away, usually disappearing within five to six months. This is Grace’s makeshift habitat behind the scenes at the Belize Zoo, where only her. We arrived just in time to see Grace’s caretakers in action during her feeding time, a routine they follow every three hours, day and night. Grace eagerly drinks down two bottles of specially formulated milk at each feeding, ensuring she grows up healthy and strong. Doctor Celso Pott, the Managing Director at the Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center, oversees her care.

 

Dr. Celso Poot, Managing Director, Belize Zoo

“You know that Tapir’s have a special place in our heart, in Belize’s heart. It is our national animal. April was in the house of many people, many kids came to the zoo to celebrate April Birthdays. So when we rescue a Tapir it is always a significant achievement for us. We have had two baby tapirs in the zoo before, so we have experience in raising tapir calf’s.”

 

Grace spent a week at the Belize Wildlife and Referral Clinic before moving to her new home at the zoo. As a young calf, she needs human care, which means she’ll form a close bond with her caregivers. This strong connection makes it challenging to return her to the wild.

 

Dr. Celso Poot

“Tapir’s stay with their spotted skins or marks for at least six months. They stay with their mom for a year or a year and a half learning how to be a tapir. So, when you have a calf like this coming to us at two weeks, a month old, we have to teach them. You just witnessed the bottle feeding. We use to bottle feed every two hours, now we are bottle feeding every three hours. It is half litter of milk replacers. So they become dependent on us and it is very unlikely that Grace would be released back into the wild.”

But there’s no need to worry. Grace is now part of a loving tapir family at the zoo. She gets all the care and attention she needs, including those essential tummy and back rubs after every feeding. These gentle strokes help Grace relax completely. She slowly folds her rear legs and then flops onto her side, enjoying the pure bliss of being pampered.

 

Dr. Celso Poot

“At this age she is doing very well, very healthy, very feisty. She is always looking out for the food she is getting, the milk replacer. We also provide her with little enrichments. So you have the balls in there that she could kick around, bounce around, provide her with light fruits. So she is doing very health, very highly likely that she will survive.”

Paul Lopez

“People may want to know, when they may be able to meet baby Grace?”

 

Dr. Celso Poot

“As with all animals we meet at the zoo, intakes, we have to make sure they pass the quarantine period, that they are healthy and going to survive. In terms of Grace we have a big day coming up, global Tapir day, April twenty-seventh, so hint, hint.”

 

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez