Cheyenne Mountain Zoo invites visitors to celebrate World Tapir Day with Mochi

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Colorado Springs' Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (CMZoo) is celebrating World Tapir Day on April 27th by inviting visitors to meet Mochi, the mountain tapir. Zoo guests can meet Mochi, who zookeepers affectionately refer to as a "Snorkel Pig," and even give him chin scratches during a special tapir keeper talk.

"This is an incredibly rare opportunity," says Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, "since Mochi is one of only three mountain tapir in human care in the United States and wild mountain tapirs are critically endangered."

Lauren Phillippi, lead mountain tapir keeper, says that Mochi - who is 24-years-old - is an older guy, but remains playful and curious.

"He likes to hold his head to one side or stretch out a leg so we can get the scratches just right,” says Phillippi.

According to the CMZoo's website, there are an estimated 2,500 mountain tapir remaining in the wild habitats of their native Ecuador. Largely due to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo's Members-Only Conservation Vote, CMZoo and members have contributed more than $100K to wild tapir conservation. Many CMZoo staff members have traveled to Ecuador to study mountain tapir and raise local awareness for the rare tapir.

To meet Mochi on World Tapir Day, you should purchase advance daytime tickets online.

The schedule for the day is as follows:

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. — Informational table outside of the tapir yard

10 a.m. — Watch Mochi enjoy some tapir enrichment (weather dependent)

1:30 p.m. — Keeper talk and a chance to give Mochi chin scratches (weather dependent)

For those who can't make the April 27 date or want to spend more time with Mochi, visitors can also schedule a tapir encounter on the Zoo's website and find more ways to support wild tapir conservation.