Tapir, Malayan

Tapir, Malayan

posted in: Hoofed mammals, Species | 0

Malayan tapir cartoon by David TwamleyScientific name: Tapirus indicus

Origin: Asia

Size: Up to 2.4m

Diet: Herbivore

IUCN status: Endangered

Threats: Loss of forests to agriculture, including palm oil plantations; hunted for meat

Zoos I have seen them: Belfast Zoo, Edinburgh Zoo, Chester Zoo, Diergaarde Blijdorp, Menagerie du Jardin des Plantes

Interesting fact: The Malayan tapir and its smaller South American relatives are considered to be living fossils, having changed little over tens of millions of years.

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