Denver Zoo Welcomes Malayan Tapir Birth

DENVER (CBS4) - The Denver Zoo has another new baby.

Their third-ever Malayan tapir, Umi (OOH-mee), was born to mother Rinny and father Benny early May 6.

Umi will remain behind-the-scenes at the zoo's Elephant Passage habitat, where she is being cared for by her mother, until she is comfortable enough to go outdoors and able to swim.

Though they are most closely related to rhinos, tapirs are actually similar in build to pigs, with noses and upper lips that extend to form a long snout similar to a stubby version of an elephant's trunk.

Malayan tapirs are native to Asia, now only found in the rain forests of the Indochinesse peninsula and Sumatra. With a population of less than 2,000 in the wild, they are classified as endangered.

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