Pet Pix

Courtesy of the Palm Beach Zoo

After successfully hand-rearing a newborn Baird’s tapir calf for more than 60 days, the thriving baby is now on exhibit at the Palm Beach Zoo.

Staff at the zoo decided to bottle-fed the baby tapir because shortly after the calf’s birth in March, mama tapir showed some aggression toward her baby.

Thanks to the calf’s attentive caretakers, the once small and weak creature now eats solid foods and weighs a hearty 66 pounds. He even goes swimming! 

So, you're probably thinking: what in the world is a Baird’s tapir? The animal that sort of looks like a cross between an aardvark and a pig is actually an endangered species that is native to portions of Mexico and Central America.

When the young Baird’s tapir reaches adulthood his body will range from 6 ½ to 8 feet in length and he’ll weigh up to 550 pounds.