Social and Reproductive Behavior of Captive Malayan Tapirs' (Tapirus indicus): Interactions with Maternal Experience and Environmental Conditions.

ABSTRACT: Malayan tapirs are listed as endangered and are bred in captivity under governmental management. The success of captive breeding programs varies and the underlying causes are unclear. Here, we investigate how tapir reproduction is affected by previous breeding experience, enclosure type/size and visitor numbers so that appropriate steps can be taken to achieve self-sustaining captive populations. Data on social and reproductive behaviors were collected from six tapirs (three males, three females), from different breeding centers in Peninsular Malaysia for 18 weeks. Results revealed that social and reproductive behavior of both sexes was significantly influenced by social and environmental conditions. Larger enclosure size tended to increase social and reproductive behaviors, whereas high n

SUBMITTER: Arumugam KA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7058076 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature