April (tapir)

Last updated
April the Tapir
April the Tapir, Belize (1984).jpg
April the Tapir, Belize (1984)
Species Tapirus bairdii
SexFemale
Born(1983-04-27)April 27, 1983
Belize
Died(2013-10-31)October 31, 2013 (aged 30)
Belize
Known forbeing the oldest living tapir in captivity

April (April 27, 1983 - October 31, 2013) was a tapir living at the Belize Zoo in Belize from 1983 until her death in 2013. She was a Baird's tapir, the national animal of Belize. [1]

April was born on 27 April 1983. That date is now National Tapir Day in Belize, and World Tapir Day globally. April first came to the zoo in 1983 when she was very ill from a screwworm infestation. Sharon Matola, the keeper at the zoo, nursed her back to health. [1] Every year, a birthday party was held to celebrate April's birthday. In 2008 the party was attended by Belize Minister of State, Elvin Penner. [1] In 2012, April was given four birthday cakes made out of horse chow, honey, cucumbers and flowers. [2] April died on 31 October 2013. She was 30 years old at the time of her death. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belize</span> Country in Central America

Belize is a country on the north-eastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a water boundary with Honduras to the southeast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khaleda Zia</span> Bangladeshi prime minister from 1991 to 1996 and 2001 to 2006

Begum Khaleda Zia is a Bangladeshi politician who served as the prime minister of Bangladesh from March 1991 to March 1996, and again from June 2001 to October 2006. She was the first female prime minister of Bangladesh and second female prime minister in the Muslim world, after Benazir Bhutto. She is the widow of former president of Bangladesh Ziaur Rahman. She is the chairperson and leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) since 1984, which was founded by her late husband in 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Betty White</span> American actress and comedian (1922–2021)

Betty Marion Ludden was an American actress and comedian. A pioneer of early television with a career spanning almost seven decades, she was noted for her vast number of television appearances acting in sitcoms, sketch comedy, and game shows. She produced and starred in the series Life with Elizabeth (1953–1955), thus becoming the first woman to produce a sitcom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King's Official Birthday</span> Public holiday in Commonwealth realms

The King's Official Birthday is the selected day in most Commonwealth realms on which the birthday of the monarch is officially celebrated in those countries. It does not necessarily correspond to the date of the monarch's actual birth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2005 Belize unrest</span> Protests and strikes in Belize following tax increases and public utility blackouts

The 2005 protests in Belize are two separate but related incidents of civil unrest in the Central American nation, occurring in January and April.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dean Barrow</span> Prime Minister of Belize from 2008 to 2020

Dean Oliver Barrow, SC PC is a politician from Belize who served as the fourth prime minister of Belize from 2008 until 2020 and as leader of Belize's United Democratic Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Senate (Belize)</span>

The Senate is the upper chamber of the National Assembly of Belize. It has 13 members appointed for a five-year term by the governor general.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2003 Belizean general election</span>

General elections were held in Belize on 5 March 2003. Belizeans elected 29 members to the House of Representatives for a term of five years. The result was a victory for the ruling People's United Party (PUP), which won 22 of the 29 seats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Belize Television</span> Television station in Belize

Great Belize Television, or as it is locally known, Channel 5, is a Belize City-based local television station established in December 1991. Channel 5 airs mostly American and Caribbean programs, as well as a variety of locally produced programs. It is a subsidiary of Great Belize Productions, a local production company established in 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bindi Irwin</span> Australian television personality and conservationist (born 1998)

Bindi Sue Irwin is an Australian television personality, conservationist, zookeeper and actress. She is the elder of the two children of conservationist and television personality Steve Irwin and his conservationist wife, Terri Irwin, who is currently the owner of Australia Zoo. Bindi's younger brother is Robert, a television personality and photographer, and she is the granddaughter of naturalist and herpetologist Bob Irwin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edna Parker</span> American supercentenarian (1893–2008)

Edna Ruth Parker was an American supercentenarian who, for 15 months, was recognized as the oldest person in the world. She was featured in two documentaries and included in a Boston University DNA database of supercentenarians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Belizean general election</span>

General elections were held in Belize on 7 February 2008. Beginning with this election, Belizeans elected 31 members to the House of Representatives of Belize instead of 29. In what was considered an upset, the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) won the election with 25 out of 31 seats; the ruling People's United Party won six.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharon Matola</span> Belizean environmentalist (1954–2021)

Sharon Matola was an American-born Belizean biologist, environmentalist, and zookeeper. She was the founding director of the Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center, a zoo which was started in 1983 to protect native animals that had been used in a documentary film in Belize. Matola graduated from New College of Florida in 1981 with a degree in biology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monarchy of Belize</span> Function and history of the Belizean monarchy

The monarchy of Belize is a system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of Belize. The current Belizean monarch and head of state since 8 September 2022, is King Charles III. As sovereign, he is the personal embodiment of the Belizean Crown. Although the person of the sovereign is shared with 14 other independent countries within the Commonwealth of Nations, each country's monarchy is separate and legally distinct. As a result, the current monarch is officially titled Kingof Belize and, in this capacity, he and other members of the royal family undertake public and private functions as representatives of the Belizean state. However, the King is the only member of the royal family with any constitutional role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belize Zoo</span> Zoo in Western Highway, Belize

The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center is a zoo in Belize, located some 47 kilometres (29 mi) west of Belize City on the Western Highway. Set in 12 hectares, the zoo was founded in 1983 by Sharon Matola. It is home to more than 175 animals of about 48 species, all native to Belize. The natural environment of Belize is left entirely intact within the zoo. The dense, natural vegetation is separated only by gravel trails through the forest. The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center receives over 68,000 visitors annually, with 15,000 being students, teachers, and parents.

Audrey Joy Grant is the current governor of the Central Bank of Belize. She was a Belizean Senator and the head of the Ministry of Energy, Science & Technology, and Public Utilities. After beginning her career in economic development projects, she became an environmental conservationist and developed numerous projects throughout the Caribbean region to protect forests and marine life.

Lisel Alamilla is a conservationist and politician from Belize. In 2012, Alamilla was appointed as a senator and member of the Belize Cabinet as Minister of Forestry, Fisheries & Sustainable Development. She served until 2015. Alamilla won the 2012 Whitley Award for Inspirational Conservational Leadership.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commander of the Defence Force (Belize)</span> Professional head of the Belize Defence Force

The Commander of the Defence Force is the professional head of the Belize Defence Force. He is responsible for the administration and the operational control of the Belize Defence Force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cordel Hyde</span> Belizean politician

Cordel Hyde is a Belizean politician. He is the current Deputy Prime Minister of Belize since 16 November 2020. He is a member of the People's United Party and has represented the Lake Independence constituency in the Belize House of Representatives since 2015. He currently serves as the Deputy Leader of the People's United Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Froyla Tzalam</span> Governor-General of Belize

Dame Froyla Tzalam is a Belizean Mopan Maya anthropologist and community leader, who has served as the third governor-general of Belize since 27 May 2021.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "April's 25 Reasons to Celebrate". 7 News (7NewsBelize.com). Naturalight Productions. April 23, 2008. Retrieved May 31, 2012.
  2. "Birthday bash for April, the Celebrity". News 5 (Channel5Belize.com). Great Belize Productions. April 27, 2012. Retrieved May 31, 2012.
  3. Moody, Duane (November 1, 2013). "April the Tapir dead". News 5 (Channel5Belize.com). Retrieved November 2, 2013.