Asian Tapir

When looking into the face of an Asian Tapir, the question "What are you?" may spring to mind. Like the Maned Wolf, the Asian Tapir's appearance is deceptive. While they look like they might be an elfin elephant or maybe a strange breed of pig, Asian Tapirs are most closely related to rhinoceroses. There are four living species of tapir in the world but the Asian Tapir is the largest and most genetically distinct of those species. These tapirs, also known as the Malayan Tapirs or Tapirus indicus, weigh between 550 to 700 pounds and stand more than three feet tall with a six to eight foot length. As the only Asian species of tapir, the Malayan Tapir lives exclusively in Southeast Asian, primarily the island of Sumatra, the Malay peninsula and Southern Thailand. Within that region, the herbivore restricts itself to tropical moist forest areas, where it finds the twigs, vegetation and fruit of its diet.  One of the most distinctive aspects of any tapir species is their striped babies. While the Asian Tapir’s young are striped, the Tapirus indicus species is again distinctive from other tapir species as their adult coat pattern consists of a black body with a large white saddle across its back unlike the typically plain bodies of their relatives.

With only 1500-2000 individuals in the wild, the Asian tapir species is considered Endangered. Their numbers in the wild have declined rapidly over the last twenty years (over 50% decline in Thailand and Malaysia, and just under 50% in Sumatra) and continues to decline. This is primarily due to the deforestation of their habitat. Asian Tapirs only thrive in the primary forest of their tropical regions, which means they need deeply forested untouched forests. They are highly sensitive to forest fragmentation due to their shy dispositions. Their habitats are being razed for palm oil plantations and illegal logging. As the habitats are deforested, other large species are also in decline. The decline in those species has led to a rise in the hunting of tapirs. Previously, tapir hunting was limited as their meat is not very palatable and considered bad luck by some local tribes. However, as other species decline, the tapir’s large size makes it the target of meat hunting. They are also the victim of sport hunting and capture by private zoos.

Their decline is worrisome as the Malayan Tapir has many roles within the ecosystem. It acts as a primary consumer of plant material and seed disperser of those plants. Through these roles, the tapir works as both a controller and stimulator of plant life. By consuming the fruit and vegetation of the area, they maintain the appropriate level of plant life. They also disperser seeds as they consume the plants, allowing the plants to spread through the area. This spread promotes greater levels of biodiversity throughout the region, providing ample plant life for other consumers. Without the Asian Tapir, the plant life of the Southeast Asian jungles could overpopulate with a lack of genetic variation as they reproduce in limited areas with limited biodiversity. The tapir is also the occasional prey to tigers. While its tough skin and intimidating size makes it an infrequent prey, tigers will consume them on occasion. With so many tiger species in rapid decline, it is important to sustain any aspect of their diet, including the Asian Tapir. Tiger species as an apex predator maintain the balance of the ecosystem and if their prey declines, the ecosystem will face adverse effects as well.

Luckily, Thailand has realized the threat to the ecosystems of the tapir. The country’s support has led to over 200 National Parks, Marine National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries and non-hunting zones to protect tropical forest. These areas cover about 17% of the Asian Tapir’s habitat. Unfortunately, the Myanmar government is currently plagued by civil unrest that makes it impossible for researchers to study the animal in that area and Myanmar only protects 5% of its forested areas. However, there are other efforts to help the Malayan Tapir. The Tapir Specialist Group actively works to save tapir species through study and conservation. Efforts to end palm oil deforestation also benefit the Asian Tapirs as deforestation for palm oil is one of the major contributors to the destruction of their habitats. Finally, many zoos (Denver Zoo, Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo, the Minnesota Zoo, San Diego Zoo) have Asian Tapir breeding programs and exhibits in attempt to conserve the species and promote awareness.

 

Ways to Help: 

1. Donate to the Tapir Specialist Group or World Wildlife Fund
2. Celebrate Tapir Day every April 27th to promote awareness (more information at TapirDay.org) 
3. Use the Palm Oil Buyers Scorecard to avoid using brands that contribute to deforestation for palm oil.
4. Visit a zoo (Denver Zoo, Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo, the Minnesota Zoo, San Diego Zoo) with an Asian Tapir exhibit to help fund their efforts for awareness and breeding
5. Use recycled paper to avoid funding the logging industry 
6. Share this blog or any of the above links to promote awareness!

 Sources:

• “Tapirus indicus " IUCN Red List. Web. July 27 2014. http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/21472/0
• “Malayan Tapir” The Animal Facts. Web. July 27 2014. http://theanimalfacts.com/mammals/malayan-tapir/