Malayan tapir
Tapirus indicus
THE PERFECT RAINFOREST INHABITANT
The Malayan tapir lives in tropical rainforests in southern Thailand, large parts of West Malaysia and the western part of Sumatra. Here it is found in varied habitats from sea level to about 2,000 meters above sea level. And of course it also lives in Copenhagen Zoo, if you want to experience it with your own eyes.
The Malayan tapir's black and white body is particularly well-suited for life in the rainforest. The wide and compact body shape enables the Malayan tapir to move efficiently through dense vegetation. At the same time, the distinctive black and white fur acts as effective camouflage and makes the animal difficult to spot in the light and shadows of the forest.
The Malayan tapir likes to stay in and around water and is a skilled swimmer. It can dive 25-30 meters, among other things to avoid enemies. Unlike wild oxen, rhinos and wild boars, the Malayan tapir rarely takes mud baths. Instead, it prefers to use clean and clear water to both drink and cool down its body.
The Malayan tapir is equipped with a small trunk – an evolutionary fusion of the upper lip and nose with many muscles and great mobility. A bit like the elephant’s trunk. The trunk, which also functions as the Malayan tapir’s nose, is used both to pick up smells and to collect and consume food.
Malayan tapirs can have young all year round. When a young one is born, its fur pattern differs significantly from that of the adults: it has a dark base color with fragmented, white stripes, which serve as effective camouflage. As with many herbivores, a Malayan tapir cub can stand up and follow its mother as early as 2-3 hours after birth. For the first two to three weeks of its life, it lives exclusively on its mother’s milk, after which it gradually begins to consume solid food. The cub is able to swim after about three weeks.
The cub gets adult fur within 2-3 months and follows the mother for up to 20 months, or until the next cub is born. At this point, the cub is old enough to fend for itself.
QUICK FACTS ABOUT THE MALAYAN TAPIR
- Gestation
- 13 months
- Habitat
- Southeast Asia, tropical forest
- Diet
- Leaves, twigs and fruit
- Lifespan
- 36 years
- Weight
- 280-400 kg
- Height
- 100-130 cm
ONLY ASIAN TAPIR SPECIES
The Malayan tapir is one of the world's four tapir species. The other three species are the mountain tapir, the lowland tapir, and Baird's tapir, all of which live in Latin America. The Malayan tapir is the only tapir species that lives in Asia.
LIVES ALONE
The Malayan tapir lives mostly alone. Occasionally, however, a female can be seen with both a nearly adult young and a male. This is usually a sign that a new breeding cycle has begun and that the nearly adult young will soon “fly from the nest” and live on their own – or hoof.
UNCHANGED FOR MILLIONS OF YEARS
The tapir's "design" is old-school. In fact, 20 million-year-old tapir fossils have been found, revealing that the species has remained virtually unchanged for millions of years. This suggests that the tapir's structure has been extremely well-suited to its long-term lifestyle. The design includes four legs, with the front two having four toes and the back two having three.
STATUS IN NATURE
The Malayan tapir is endangered.
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Working with animals at Copenhagen Zoo
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