Overview!

Name: Bakugo Species: Hybrid of Tapirus indicus (Malayan Tapir) and Tapirus yumekui (Greater Baku) Primary Caretaker: Terrestrial Team, William Hendricks Diet: Berries, fruits, aquatic plants, dreams Housed: Wilson's Wildlife Center, Enclosure 12



Creature Features! Bakugo is a one-of-a-kind hybrid between a run-of-the-mill Malayan Tapir and a greater baku, a type of Japanese Yokai which is best known for its ability to 'eat' dreams. In reality, this is a complex chemical and magical process which involves a special organ only found in baku (and in Bakugo) that allows it to derive energy from halting human REM Sleep. However, due to the fact that he's a hybrid, he can also derive nutrition from things a Malaysian Tapir would normally eat. Bakugo is a bit standoffish, but he'll eagerly eat an apple out of your hand— or a nightmare out of your brain.

History!

A baby Bakugo, sleeping next to his mom. Ain't he cute? Bakugo here was rescued from an illegal zoo in Eventide, Oregon back in 2015, along with several other critters. While the majority of them have been returned to their native habitat, Bakugo was born in captivity, and would have extreme difficulty surviving in the wild. This is especially true given Eventide's unique perpetually nocturnal climate; Bakugo didn't see natural light until he was rescued from the zoo. Bakugo's mom and dad were illegally imported from Japan and Malaysia respectively, and gave birth to him three years into their captivity. During this time, Bakugo's mom Yume was severely malnourished, due to the fact that greater bakus can only eat dreams, and not many people were willing to sleep in an enclosure containing a potentially aggressive pair of animals. Some conservationists who were part of the Oneiroi Collective managed to remotely supply nutrition to both her and Bakugo, ensuring their survival until they could be rescued. Owing to the current state of government in Eventide, which is hostile to not only Wilson's Wildlife but also the FBI's Unusual Incidents Unit, the US Fish and Wildlife Service's Exozoology Task Force, and several other organizations that deal with the trafficking of critters, the rescue of Bakugo's family and several other critters had to be carried out in secret. We had help from quite a few places, and despite having a bit of a shaky retrieval, all fifty-two animals at the zoo were successfully rescued. Bakugo and his mother were enclosed together for four years, but were unfortunately seperated due to Bakugo becoming aggressive towards Yume upon reaching maturity.

Special Needs and Accommodations!

Like all Malayan tapirs, Bakugo has poor eyesight, and has to navigate based on smell and hearing. However, due to his upbringing in a place where the sun literally didn't shine, he has to be kept in a perpetually nocturnal enclosure, with minimal lighting. As such, please keep your flash off when you photograph him. Owing to Bakugo's unique diet, a bed has been included in a cordoned-off portion of the enclosure, behind industrial-strength plexiglass of the same make used in the Seattle Zoo's Malayan tapir enclosure. Twice a week, a member of the Terrestrial team sleeps in this bed, so that Bakugo can have a snack on their dreams. Priority is given to those among staff who suffer from especially bad nightmares.

Notes about Bakugo!