The Economic Times

In 1967, Los Angeles Zoo began breeding mountain tapirs from one pair, and the effort still shapes the species today

The Los Angeles Zoo launched its mountain tapir breeding program in 1967, starting with a single pair. A significant achievement followed in 1977, marking the first birth of this species in captivity. Mountain tapirs are slow reproducers and are under threat from poaching and habitat destruction. Their captive lineage faces genetic diversity issues due to the narrow selection of founding animals.