TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taipei Zoo is hosting events from Tuesday through April 30 to celebrate World Tapir Day on April 27.

Zoo visitors can participate in a Malayan tapir-themed game with prizes for finishers. On April 27, the "Malayan Tapir Train Conductor" will make appearances at the zoo’s shuttle train station at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to interact with visitors, per CNA.

Taipei Zoo welcomed a Malayan tapir named Limlu in July. The nine-month-old tapir weighs over 180 kilograms and lives with its mother in the pool area adjacent to the zoo’s pangolin house.

Malayan tapirs are born with dark brown fur featuring white stripes and spots, providing camouflage from predators. As they mature, their fur gradually transitions to a black-and-white pattern, usually completed by around six months old.

According to the zoo, the Malayan tapir is listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Approximately 3,200 Malayan tapirs are estimated to remain worldwide, with about 200 in zoos and 3,000 living in the wild.

The zoo said the greatest threats to the Malayan tapir's survival stem from human activities such as illegal logging, slash-and-burn deforestation, and rainforest clearing for agriculture. 

The zoo said it has been committed to Malayan tapir conservation through breeding initiatives and collaboration with international zoos. It added the public can help protect animal habitats by choosing environmentally friendly products, using reusable utensils and cups, and opting for public transportation.

Another Malayan tapir from Taipei Zoo, Modo, was sent to Japan's Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens last March to breed with a tapir named Komore.