10/13/2026
𝗘𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻 𝗧𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗭𝗼𝗼 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗔𝗿𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹
Ellen Trout Zoo is celebrating the arrival of its newest resident, a female Malayan tapir calf named Nadira. Born September 21, 2026, at 2:09 a.m., Nadira weighed approximately 20 pounds at birth and has already doubled her weight, tipping the scales at just over 40 pounds at three weeks old.
Nadira is the third calf born to 10-year-old Tembikai, affectionately known as Tembi, and Cole, a male Malayan tapir who passed away on January 12, 2026, at the age of 24. Her older sister, Binti, was born in the summer of 2023 and now resides at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Washington. Tembi arrived at Ellen Trout Zoo in 2017 from Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo, while Cole came to Lufkin in 2019 from the Center for Conservation of Tropical Ungulates in Florida.
Zoo staff gave Tembi the special opportunity to choose her daughter's name by selecting between two boxes filled with snacks. The choices were Nadira, meaning "precious gift," and Maharani, meaning "queen" or "empress," both in Malay. Tembi ultimately selected Nadira, a particularly fitting choice for a calf who carries on Cole's legacy.
Though only a few weeks old, Nadira is already showing off a big personality. Described by her keepers as full of s***k, she enjoys splashing in her water trough, nibbling on her mother, attempting to steal Tembi's food, and chewing on just about everything as she begins teething. When she gets a burst of energy, Nadira can even be seen bucking like a little bronco as she races around her surroundings.
Malayan tapirs are classified as endangered, with fewer than 2,500 mature individuals estimated to remain in the wild. Their populations continue to decline, primarily due to habitat loss and fragmentation throughout Southeast Asia. Nadira's birth is part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan (SSP), a cooperative program that helps maintain genetically diverse, sustainable populations of threatened and endangered species in accredited zoos. Like other Malayan tapir calves, Nadira sports a distinctive coat of white spots and stripes that helps camouflage young tapirs in their forest habitat. As she grows, these markings will gradually give way to the striking black-and-white coloration characteristic of adults.
Guests can currently see Tembi and Nadira daily in Holding Area #2. Zoo staff are carefully preparing Nadira for her eventual introduction to the main exhibit, but the growing calf is still too small to safely navigate the exhibit's pool. In the meantime, visitors have the opportunity to watch Nadira explore her surroundings, develop new skills, and spend time with her mother.
Nadira's arrival is an exciting addition to the Ellen Trout Zoo family and a meaningful reminder of the lasting impact of the animals who have called the zoo home. While Cole is deeply missed, his legacy lives on in a spirited little calf whose name could not be more appropriate: a precious gift.
