TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A Malayan tapir named Hideo and destined for Taipei Zoo was found dead after a flight from Japan, reports said Saturday (June 22).

The zoo said an autopsy by a team from National Taiwan University (NTU) would determine the cause of death, while it would assist the Japanese side in reviewing and improving the transportation procedures for wildlife. The investigation would look into why the animal died during the flight between the two countries, the zoo said.

The “Zoorasia” zoo in Yokohama sent Hideo to be taken on board a Japan Air Lines flight after 7 p.m. Friday (June 21). The aircraft arrived at Taoyuan International Airport around 8:30 p.m., with zoo officials concluding at 9:35 p.m. that the tapir was not breathing, the Liberty Times reported.

The animal did not show any external injuries, according to Taipei Zoo Spokesperson Eric Tsao (曹先紹). Officials in Yokohama told him that its zoo representative taking Hideo to the aircraft had not seen anything out of the ordinary, but nobody from the zoo had accompanied the tapir on the flight.

The results of the autopsy, scheduled for Sunday (June 23), would be communicated to Yokohama. Both sides would discuss the outcome and the transportation procedures before talking to the media, Tsao said.

Hideo’s trip to Taipei was the result of a program negotiated by the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums. In March, Taipei Zoo sent a Malayan tapir to Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Nagoya, Japan. In July 2023, a Malayan tapir named Moke died at Taipei Zoo after feeling unwell.