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A zoologist once described the tapir as ‘banded watermelons with legs.’ About the size of a donkey, the tapir resembles a large pig. It is a rare animal, found only in isolated areas of South and Central America as well as some southern parts of Asia.
The tapir will grow to between six and eight feet in length and two and half to three feet in height. They weigh from five to six hundred pounds. The weight is distributed throughout a thick neck, pudgy body and short tail. They have small eyes which do not provide them with very good eyesight. The snout of the tapir is drawn out to form a short trunk which is ideal when browsing for food.
The tapir is totally defenceless against the many predators of it’s environment. For this reason it will stick to the thickest parts of the forest, keeping as far away as possible from the jaguar and the tiger. If pounced on by a big cat the tapir will make for the thickest parts of the jungle, hoping that the cat will be unable to follow. The thick hide of the tapir will soon heal from most cursory strikes.
The tapir will always live near a lake or river. He loves the water and will spend much of his time swimming and splashing in the water. He also enjoys wallowing in the mud. All of this keeps the tapir cool in the humid conditions in which he lives as well as warding off the irritating insects which are a feature of the tropics.
With it’s thick, squat body the tapir is a surprisingly agile runner. It’s compact features also make it a good penetrator of thick, dense vegetation. They are generally unsocial animals. Living alone or in pairs they are rarely seen in numbers greater than three. The tapir is a vegetarian, feeding on low growing plants and on land or aquatic vegetation. They also have an inordinate fondness for salt. They will, in fact, travel long distances in search of salt licks. Tapirs in zoos have also been seen to exhibit an almost insatiable appetite for bananas. The animal is mainly nocturnal and can live up to thirty years.
The tapir will breed at any time of year. Gestation period is about thirteen months, after which a single baby will be born. Babies will have a reddish, brown coat which is spotted and striped length wise in yellow and white. This gives the young tapir an excellent form of camouflage in the dim tropical light of the forest. After about a year this coloration will disappear to give the tapir it’s adult color – black with a broad band of white around it’s feet in the Malaysian variety. The South American tapir is dark gray or brown.
The tapir is yet another animal that has been put on the endangered species list. Man hunts the tapir for food. Hunting at night when the animal is most active, hunters will spread salt to attract their prey. After licking the salt, the tapir will head straight for the nearest stream. But the hunter will be waiting, high powered rifle in hand. He will shine a strong flashlight into the animals eyes to temporarily blind it before shooting it down. The meat of the tapir is relatively fat free and is rather tasty. As well as eating the meat, the hunters also make use of the hide. It is used to fashion whips, lassos and bridles.
In addition to hunting the animal down, mankind has diminished his environment, the tropical forest. This has accelerated the demise of this hardy little creature. Very few people living in the 21st century, then, will ever get to see a tapir in it’s natural habitat. But they are frequently found in zoos. Why not make a point of searching one out at your own local zoo?
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