A Malayan tapir, named Budak Puntja in Czech or Moko (貘克) in Chinese, on Tuesday died from undetermined causes at Taipei Zoo after falling ill and running a high temperature since the weekend, the zoo said in a statement on Wednesday.
The zoo said the animal was found lying next to a pool in its enclosure on Tuesday morning, but was unable to stand. A veterinarian then administered a blood test, provided a nutritional supplement and other medical treatment throughout the day, but Budak Puntja was found unresponsive at 3:30pm.
The ensuing efforts to revive the Malayan tapir proved ineffective, the zoo said, adding that an autopsy was to be performed yesterday to determine the cause of death.
Photo courtesy of Taipei Zoo
The seven-year-old Malayan tapir first showed signs of fatigue on Saturday, but seemingly recovered after eating and bathing in the enclosure pool, the zoo said.
The zoo had let the animal rest since Sunday, when it failed to finish its evening meal and suffered from diarrhea.
A veterinarian on Monday discovered the tapir was running a fever. At that point, a first blood test was administered, and the animal was injected with antibiotics and provided with a nutritional supplement.
In addition, an industrial fan was installed in the enclosure and blocks of ice placed on the ground, in an effort to lower the temperature, the zoo said.
Taipei Zoo spokesperson Tsao Hsien-shao (曹先紹) on Wednesday told reporters that the tapir’s condition deteriorated rapidly, so further work was needed to determine the cause of death.
Budak Puntja was born in Prague Zoo in the Czech Republic on Oct. 15, 2015, and arrived in Taiwan on March 15, 2018, as part of a cross-institute breeding program.
The Malayan tapir was paired with two female Malayan tapirs, Mofang (貘芳) and Moli (貘莉), at Taipei Zoo in February 2019 and two cubs were born in 2020 and 2021, who were later named Motou (貘豆) and Mohuatou (貘花豆).
The zoo said Budak Puntja and his offspring have successfully raised public awareness of the endangered herbivore species from Southeast Asia.
A memorial gathering is to be held for Budak Puntja in the coming days, the zoo added.
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