Change of milk compositions and sucking frequency in South American tapir during the course of lactation

Abstract

 The milk was collected from one South American Tapir (Tapirus terrestris) bred at Kyoto city zoo, at pre and some days post delivery at two delivery cases and the milk compositions were determined. At one delivery in 2014, total protein concentrations (g/dl) were determined by dry chemistry method and the frequency numbers were counted per a day, while at another delivery in 2017, the concentrations of protein lipid, carbohydrate and ash were determined in the samples collected at pre and early stage of lactation. In a case of the delivery in 2014, the frequency numbers of the suckling tended to decrease after three weeks from the delivery with the development of the neonate, and the total protein concentration tended to increase 196 days post delivery, when the lactation was almost finalized. The milk compositions in the sample collected one day pre partum in 2017 was follows; 20.1 g/dl protein, 1.8 g/dl lipid, 2.9 g/dl carbohydrate, 0.7 g/dl ash. These values are similar to those in the milk of wild horse that have been published previously as follows: 18.06% protein, 1.7% lipid, 1.53% carbohydrate. Furthermore, during the first 5 months from the delivery, suckling occurred 6 to 18 times per day, and the frequency of suckling tended to be higher at night when the keepers were not present, which is related to the activity of the South American Tapir, which is considered crepuscular or nocturnal.