Creature that looks like ‘walking watermelon’ born at WA zoo. See the ‘little miracle’
An endangered baby animal that looks like a fuzzy “walking watermelon” was born at a Washington zoo.
The white striped and speckled Malayan tapir calf was born Feb. 2 at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma, the zoo said in a news release.
It’s the second time a tapir has been born at the zoo since it opened 120 years ago, zoo officials said.
The 20-pound healthy newborn is currently “nursing and bonding” with its mother, Yuna.
Yuna is 10 years old and weighs nearly 900 pounds, zoo officials said. The creature’s father is Baku, and he’s also 10 and weighs 800 pounds.
The pair had a baby boy at the zoo in 2019, The Tacoma News Tribune reported that year.
Zoo officials said they will name the new baby and announce its sex in the “coming weeks.”
But in the meantime, the calf will continue to nurse for the next six months and stay with its mom for 12 to 18 months, zoo officials said.
“Thank you Point Defiance Zoo for sharing this little miracle with us all!” one person commented on Facebook.
“Another fuzzy watermelon! So exciting,” another person wrote.
What to know about the Malayan tapir
The Malayan Tapir is the largest of the four tapir species, according to the Tapir Specialist Group.
This species is found in Asia in southern Myanmar and southern Thailand.
Tapirs are herbivores and have long and flexible noses for snagging leaves and fruit, the zoo said.
When they are babies, they are born with white stripes and dots to blend in with their environment.
The “mostly nocturnal” animal typically lives alone but may live in a pair.
Zoo officials said the tapir is endangered due to disappearing forests, farms, logging and being hunted by humans.
This story was originally published February 5, 2025 at 1:36 PM with the headline "Creature that looks like ‘walking watermelon’ born at WA zoo. See the ‘little miracle’."
