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Squeak, named for the noise tapirs make to communicate, is a female Brazilian tapir and was born to parents Jetta and Beep-Beep.
The rare tapir once roamed North and South America, but is now endangered and limited to Central America and the tropical parts of South America.
Tapirs, which look a bit like a watermelon with legs, are cousins to the rhinoceros and are the largest mammal in South America. They are excellent swimmers, can run fairly fast and have a flexible snout that’s very similar to a mini elephant trunk.
This is the second tapir born at the center. Their first offspring went into a breeding program and is residing happily with a mate in Southwicks Zoo in Menden, Mass.
The LEO Zoo also celebrated the first-ever giraffe born in the state of Connecticut when Sandy Hope, a rare Rothschild giraffe, was born there in March.
LEOZCC is a nonprofit, accredited conservation center and offsite breeding facility specializing in species at risk and conservation based education programs.
The zoo is expecting further births this year, including two more giraffe, a hyena, a kangaroo and several primates.
The zoo is closed to the public and requires memberships and donations to the visit the animals.
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