Mountain tapir recovering at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo after kidney removal

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- A male mountain tapir at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is recovering after a kidney removal surgery in mid-February.

In December 2020, zookeepers were noticing that Cofan, 17, was behaving strangely and his symptoms were progressing quickly. He was uncoordinated, not going to his outdoor yard, eating less, and was losing weight.

Michelle Salido, the lead tapir keeper at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, said they ultimately discovered he was dealing with kidney stones that had damaged his kidney.

Salido says Cofan voluntarily participated in diagnostics, including x-rays, blood work, and ultrasounds.

The zoo worked with the Colorado State University's Veterinary Teaching Hospital to put together a team of specialists that ultimately saved Cofan's life.

According to Salido, this surgery has never been done for mountain tapirs.

An 11-person CSU team of equine specialists, radiologists, anesthesiologists, and surgeons traveled to southern Colorado to help Cofan.

“We tend to think of tapirs as being similar to horses, and our equine team was able to contribute important expertise to Cofan’s case,” said Dr. Johnston. “The pulling together of this type of team happened because of the long-standing working relationship with CSU, which has been mutually beneficial for both CSU and CMZoo.“

While the surgery went well, the zoo says Cofan isn't out of the woods yet. Zookeepers are monitoring him, and so far he has been urinating and eating regularly.

His care team is adjusting his diet in an attempt to prevent any more stones from developing in the future.

According to the zoo, there is only seven mountain tapir in human care in the country, two of which live at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

To learn more about Cofan and his road to recovery, click here.