136 A HAND-BOOK OF THE MANAGEMENT OF ANIMALS 



shady enclosure with a tank. Their propensities for climbing low walls 

 and fences have on several occasions been noticed ; so that the enclosure 

 should be built in such a way as to render climbing impossible, and for 

 this purpose a wall about 5 feet high, with a deep projecting cornice, 

 will aDswer; to enable the visitors to look into the enclosure, an embank- 

 ment about 2 feet high should be thrown up round the outer aspect 

 of the wall, and a footpath constructed along its top ; the wall of the 

 enclosure used for tapirs in this garden is only about 3 feet 6 inches 

 high, surmounted by a light iron fencing built into the coping. It 

 is, however, not every tapir that will attempt escape. A house in 

 one corner of the enclosure is necessary, and it should be built of brick 

 and mortar, as the animal is addicted to biting softer materials ; the 

 floor should be raised and dry, or a platform provided. Tapirs are 

 generally inoffensive animals, and several of them, of the same or 

 different species, may live together in peace. 



Food, — Tapirs feed on vegetable substances, consisting of leaves, 

 shoots and roots ; they can be fed on jack-fruit and other leaves, sweet 

 potatoes, yams, bran, and boiled rice ; the latter may be given sparingly 

 during the hot weather only. 



Breeding. — A tapir obtained in January 1877 gave birth to a 

 young one in the month of May following ; another obtained in July 

 1883 calved in October of the same year. Both these animals were 

 in possession of a dealer for at least three months prior to their inclusion 

 in this collection, and had no opportunity of pairing ; this must have 

 happened while they were yet in a wild state before capture. Young 

 tapirs are marked with brownish spots and stripes, like young of wild 

 pigs. The spots and stripes disappear in about six months. 



Transport. — In July 1883 three tapirs were shipped from Singa- 

 pore in battened cages with open tops ; two of these animals 

 arrived wounded and Tame; during the voyage they made frequent 

 attempts to escape by climbing over the sides and biting through the 

 woodwork of the cage. All tapirs do not of course behave in the same 

 manner ; but the above facts indicate the kind of precaution necessary 

 for their transport. 



Treatment in sickness. 



An apparently healthy female died after having suffered for about 

 three days from obstruction of the bowels. A. post-mortem examination 

 was held, and the animal was found to have been suffering from 

 tuberculosis of the lungs and liver. 



Galloping consumption. — Another female rapidly wasted away 

 and died on the 30th October 1890, On an autopsy being held, both 

 the lungs were found full of cavities, so that there was not a square 

 inch of healthy tissue anywhere. Up to about the end of July of that 

 year the animal was apparently healthy, but from about that time 

 it rapidly began wasting away, developing at the same time other 

 unmistakable signs of consumption. 



Several cases of prolapsus of the anus occurred among the 

 Malayan tapirs exhibited here. One of them, a young male, born in 

 the garden, had to be operated upon under chloroform, as, gangrene 



