Potential species for tapir (Tapirus bairdii) food gardens in captivity

Abstract

Tapirs are browsing herbivores consuming a wide variety of plants. In captivity they may present a deficit in plant material consumption, therefore, to complement their diet, is necessary to evaluate potential palatable plants for feeding gardens. Two palatability tests were performed on a captive tapir at Rosy Walther Zoo, located in the department of Francisco Morazán, including 53 plant species, which were compared with a list of plant species reported as consumed in wild tapirs’ diet. Consumed species were evaluated using a weighted matrix based on three criteria: reproduction, or propagation viability, biomass production, and nutritional quality. From the offered plants, 86.8 % were accepted, of which 16 have high potential to be cultivated to complement the diet of captive tapirs. We recommend to build nurseries with the species suggested in this study in addition with local plants for the establishment of permanent feeding gardens. This will supply safe vegetable fiber to complement nutritional requirements that would guarantee a better life quality for tapirs in captivity.