Malayan Tapir
(Tapirus indicus)
Facts
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IUCN ENDANGERED (EN)
Facts about this animal
The Malayan Tapir is the largest tapir. It has a black or dark brown and white colour pattern. The head, neck, shoulder, fore- and hind legs are black or brown; otherwise the body is white as well as the ear tips. The head-body length is about 250 cm, the height at the shoulder about 100 cm. It weights 260-375 kg. The coat is short, sparse, and not concealing the skin. The sexes are alike.
Did you know?
That the Malayan tapir is the only tapir in Asia and that it is substantially bigger than its cousins from South and Central America?
| Factsheet | |
|---|---|
| Class | MAMMALIA |
| Order | PERISSODACTYLA |
| Suborder | CERATOMORPHA |
| Family | TAPIRIDAE |
| Name (Scientific) | Tapirus indicus |
| Name (English) | Malayan Tapir |
| Name (French) | Tapir de Malaisie, Tapir à chabraque, Tapir d'Asie |
| Name (German) | Schabrackentapir |
| Name (Spanish) | Tapir de la India |
| Local names | Bahasa Indonesia: Badak Bahasa Melayu: Tenuk Malaysia, Badak Cipan, Badac Murai, Badak Tampung Thai: Som-set |
| CITES Status | Appendix I |
| CMS Status | Not listed |
Photo Copyright by
Bluemoose
Distribution
| Distribution | |
|---|---|
| Range | Burma, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Viet Nam |
| Habitat | Dense rainforests and swamps |
| Wild population | Malaysia: 1500-2000, Thailand: 50-100. Decreasing (IUCN Red List 2011) |
| Zoo population | 201 registered by the International studbook (2004), 127 reported to ISIS (2007) |
In the Zoo
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How this animal should be transported
For air transport, Container Note 73 of the IATA Live Animals Regulations, should be followed.
Find this animal on ZooLex
Photo Copyright by
Sasha Kopf
Why do zoos keep this animal
The Malayan tapir is a vulnerable species and its habitat is dwindling and deteriorating. With a view of building up an ex situ insurance population an International Studbook was set up in 1984 under the WAZA umbrella, and zoos maintain now a largely self-sustained population managed by several associations under regional conservation breeding programmes.
The Malayan tapir is a very conspicuous, unusually looking animal and makes a good ambassador species for its threatened habitat the South-East Asian rainforest.