Shadow, who is named after a character in the hit 1990s American science fiction series Babylon 5, made her debut at Chester Zoo on December 28, weighing around five kilos. All of the zoo's new-born tapirs and capybaras get their names from the TV series.

With her distinctive humbug stripes, Shadow is the sixth surviving baby tapir born to mum Jennifer and dad Cuzco. Both parents, together with Shadow's big brother Zak who was born in August 2006, are proving to be attentive to their new charge.

Shadow and her family are now on-show at the zoo.

Adult tapirs are around two metres in length and stand three foot high. They exist on a diet of fruits, berries and leaves. Young are weaned at around four months old but they will double their weight in the first 14-21 days. The stripes on a youngster will fade by nine months. Their closest relatives are horses and rhinoceroses.