Woodland Park Zoo (WPZ) is preparing to say goodbye to its last remaining Malayan tapir, Ulan, at the end of August. Her last day for visitors will be August 27.

The 12-year-old is on her way to the Fresno Chaffee Zoo in Fresno, California. According to WPZ, the Malayan Tapir Species Survival Plan has recommended that Ulan be relocated to Fresno. During her stay at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo, she will live in the mixed species enclosure Kingdoms of Asia with her male tapir Willium and eventually a pair of Babirusa in a beautiful river habitat.

“For a decade, Ulan has fascinated our visitors, in part because of her interesting, strange appearance. An intelligent and sociable animal, Ulan has participated in prenatal care herself, including ultrasound scans during pregnancy. She has taken on the role of mother to her daughter with ease. We will miss her, but we look forward to her new adventures,” said Erin Sullivan, animal curator at WPZ.

Ulan came to the WPZ from Tampa Zoo in 2013. She was not always the only tapir in the zoo. It was only when her four-year-old daughter Sempurna moved to the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo in the spring and her companion Bintang, Sempurna’s father, died of age-related illnesses in 2023 that she was taken back into the animal shelter.

The tapir exhibit at the WPZ will be closed for several months while improvements are made to improve the welfare of the animals, increase the sustainability of the exhibit and enhance the visitor experience.

“Since the tapir exhibit opened nearly three decades ago, the care of these animals has changed and changes are needed to the tapir exhibit to ensure it continues to evolve and reflect the current state of care for this species,” Sullivan said.

A pair of young tapirs will be brought here when the modernized exhibition reopens in spring 2025, WPZ reported.