Share and Follow
MINOT, N.D. (KXNET) — The Roosevelt Park Zoo does a lot of work on conservation, and on Thursday, April 27, they are raising awareness about one species: the tapir for World Tapir Day.
The tapir is a large herbivore and mammal with a short trunk. And the mountain tapir is the smallest and rarest of all tapir species, native to the Andes Mountains of South America.
There are less than 2,500 adult tapirs in the wild and only six at zoos worldwide.
That’s why Roosevelt Park Zoo’s very own staff veterinarian, Dr. Logan Wood, went on a field conservation trip earlier this month to help. And he has advice on how you can help too.
Read Related Also: Snow on the beach: Florida deputies say $100,000 in cocaine washed ashore
“One, getting the word out there. Doesn’t matter what it is. Is it the black-footed ferret, is it the amur leopard? Just getting information talking about it. Getting people aware of what are the threats. A lot of the threats are actually human-based: habitat loss, encroachment, things like that. Other ways is you can help support either a conservation agency or you can also support the zoo and allow us to help save these animals,” said Dr. Wood.
Dr. Logan will be speaking about his experience in Ecuador on Thursday night at the Roosevelt Park Zoo at 6 p.m. to celebrate World Tapir Day.
It’s free to the public and there will even be a coloring contest for different age groups from toddlers to adults.
The coloring sheets are due before May 13, which is when the winners will be selected. The prize is a tapir T-shirt.
