The Chicago Zoological Society, which manages Brookfield Zoo, is happy to announce the birth of a male South American tapir calf on May 22. Zoogoers can see 11-year-old mom Sorghum (pronounced SOAR-gum) and her yet-to-be-named calf in Pachyderm House beginning Friday, May 27.
Baby tapirs are born with white stripes, which serve as an excellent camouflage. The stripes begin to fade after a few months, and are completely gone by 6 months of age. The calf will nurse from its mom as long as milk is being produced. It will reach full size at about 18 months of age, and are considered mature at 2 to 4 years old.
