Goober, the San Francisco Zoo's Baird's Tapir passed away Sunday morning after a two-year battle with oral cancer. Goober, who looks to have been aptly named, given that goofy grin of his, spent most of his 18 years in San Francisco. He loved corn and would do anything just to get a scratch from his keepers. As the Zoo eulogized Goober in a Facebook status update:
We are saddened by the passing of Goober, our amazing Baird's Tapir. His keepers found him peacefully in the comfort of his barn on Sunday morning. He lived an incredible life after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of oral cancer more than two years ago. He will be greatly missed!
Goober's oral cancer was particularly aggressive, the Chronicle reports, but the brave Central America native lived out his days much longer than expected. There are fewer than 5,000 of his kind left in the wild.
