They walk around like a giant pig.  And are not be confused with an anteater.  They swim like a hippo, but are related to rhinos and horses and not hippos.

Meet the Malayan tapir – one of the strangest and most distinctive barrel-shaped behemoths of Southeast Asia.   They live in the tropical rainforest jungles of Malaysia and Indonesia where they prefer dense areas with nearby marshes and rivers.

A tapir’s snout is unique, formed by the fusion of its upper lip and nose, resembling a short, flexible elephant’s trunk.  

The last time anyone tried to estimate how many endangered Malayan tapirs still survived in the wild, was in 2014 when their numbers were estimated to be only 2,499 individuals.  Who knows how many there are today.  They definitely need our help and hopefully there is still time.

Today those that remain are threatened by residential and commercial development, agriculture and aquaculture, energy production and mining and human intrusions and disturbance. 

Tough, elusive and with a distinctive black and white color pattern similar to a giant panda, the tapir is the forest’s shadow-shifter.  

In dappled light, a shadow-shifter glides.
A creature ancient, in its forest hides.
With a snout like a questing finger, soft and keen,
It plucks the tender shoots, a jungle dean.

Part boar, part horse, a curious blend,
Its odd-toed trot, where ancient paths extend.
Through underbrush it pushes, thick and dense.
A gentle giant, with a quiet sense.

It’s tough hide, a shield in forest’s deep embrace,
A resilience woven, with time and grace.
By river’s edge, it seeks the cooling stream,
A swimmer graceful, born of forest dream.

Author unknown

The Zoo has a pair of Malayan tapirs in the Asia area of the Zoo and helps to save endangered species by supporting conservation programs in range countries.  While you visit the Zoo you can support the zoo’s conservation fund by rounding up your purchases. 

Malayan tapirs need defenders in the wild.  Consider forming your own group on social media to help gain more support for tapir conservation efforts.   If you need ideas contact Rick LoBello who is chair of the Zoo’s Conservation Committee. 

Photos

Cover – Ruanda Agung Sugardiman/AusAID, Wikimedia Creative Commons
Feature – Bernard Dupont, Wikimedia Creative Commons
Top – Rick LoBello
Rainforest – Dukeabruzzi, Wikimedia Creative Commons
Bottom – Maria Lopez