MALAYAN TAPIR
Malayan tapirs (Tapirus indicus) resemble black and white pigs with an extended snout. The largest of the four species of tapir and the only one native to Asia, they can weigh 540 kilograms (1,200 pounds) and on average grows to a height of one meter at the shoulder and are 1.8 to 2.4 meters (5.9 to 7.9 feet) in length, excluding its stubby five to 10 centimeter(2 to 4 inch) (tail. They typically weigh between 250 and 320 kilograms (550 and 710 pounds). Females are usually larger than males. Tapirs are related to the horse and rhinoceros. The Malayan tapir is the only tapir species found in the Old World. The three other tapir species live in the jungles of Central and South America and Southeast Asia.
Jeremy Hance wrote in mongabay.com, “You can't mistake an Asian tapir for anything else: for one thing, it's the only tapir on the continent; for another, it's distinct black-and-white blocky markings distinguishes it from any other tapir (or large mammal) on Earth. Tapirs are rare survivors of the Pleistocene extinction when many of the world's big animals (i.e. megafauna) vanished forever. Although the Asian tapir, also known as the Malayan tapir, is the largest of the four tapir species (the rest of which are found in South and Central America) weighing up to 1,200 pounds (540 kilograms), it is also the least known. [Source: Jeremy Hance, mongabay.com, April 23, 2013 |~|]
Malayan tapirs are not only found in Malaysia it is also found in Sumatra to the south and Thailand and Burma to the north. Until quite recently they also lived in Borneo and were reported in Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. They differ from their Latin American cousins chiefly in their color. The front part of the body and the hind legs of adults are black while the rear half is greyish white. The strange white piebald coloration on the back and stomach is said to help conceal the animal in the forest by breaking up its outline. Some say that other animals may mistake it for a large rock rather than prey when it is lying down to sleep. Baby Malayan tapirs have black and white stripes and spots. Average lifespan of Malayan tapirs is approximately 30 years. They have been recorded living up to 36.5 years in captivity.
Websites and Resources on Animals: Animal Diversity Web animaldiversity.org ; BBC Earth bbcearth.com; A-Z-Animals.com a-z-animals.com; Live Science Animals livescience.com; Animal Info animalinfo.org ; World Wildlife Fund (WWF) worldwildlife.org the world’s largest independent conservation body; National Geographic National Geographic ; Endangered Animals (IUCN Red List of Threatened Species) iucnredlist.org
Tapir Taxonomy and History
There are three species of tapir in South and Central America. The fourth species, in Southeast Asia, is the Malayan tapir. Tapirs are little changed from their ancestors which lived 20 million years ago and their physiology is regarded as relatively primitive for such large animals.
Liz Ballenger and Phil Myers wrote in Animal Diversity Web: The family Tapiridae contains tapirs. They are placed in one genus, Tapirus. [Source: Liz Ballenger and Phil Myers, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]
All the South American tapirs are uniform dark brown or gray in color, whereas the Malayan tapir is black on its hind legs and the entire front of its body, and creamy white through its midsection. All tapirs have a short, fleshy proboscis formed by the snout and upper lips. This proboscis is more elongated in the South American species. Tapir eyes are small and flush with the side of the head; their ears are oval, erect, and not very mobile. Their body is rounded in back and tapering in front — well suited for rapid movement through thick underbrush. They also have a very short tail. Tapirs have bristly hairs scattered all over the body, and an inconspicuous mane is present on two of the South American species.
The earliest records of tapirids in the fossil record are from the Early Oligocene Period (33 million to 23.9 million years ago). The Eocene Period (56 million to 33.9 million years ago) genus Heptodon was remarkably similar to modern tapirs, except that it lacked a proboscis. Tapirs were once widespread in distribution, present in North America, Europe, and Asia until the Late Pleistocene Period (129,000 to 11,700 years ago). /=\
Tapir Characteristics and Diet
Tapirs are exclusively herbivorous, sheltering in thickets by day and emerging at night to feed in bordering areas of grasses or shrubs. They eat the leaves, buds, twigs and fruits of low-growing, terrestrial plants and also consume aquatic vegetation. The proboscis of the tapir is a highly flexible structure, able to move in all directions, allowing the animals to grab foliage that would otherwise be out of reach. The length of the proboscis varies among species; Malayan tapirs have the longest snouts and Brazilian tapirs have the shortest. The evolution of tapir proboscises, made up almost entirely of soft tissues rather than bony internal structures.
David Attenborough wrote: the tapir is about the size of a donkey, but much more heavily built and without a hairy coat. It feeds throughout the day and night. It has two kinds of teeth. Those in the front, the incisors, are chisel-shaped and are used to snip off leaves. Those in the back, the molars, which are separated from the incisors by a toothless gap in the jaw, are flat and ridged on top. These grind the leave, physically breaking down the cellulose t release the nutritious cell contents. Each mouthful, having been thoroughly chewed, then passes through the stomach and along the hind gut where the tapir keeps colonies of bacteria and other micro-organisms, They continue the attack on the cellulose by biochemical means. [Source: “Life of Mammals” by David Attenborough]
Tapirs have nostrils that are elongated into diminutive trunks and with theses they sniff out and identify the leaves they prefer. And while they seem prepared to eat most things — including fruits and nuts if they can find them — they have to be careful about which kinds of leaves they swallow. Leaves are valuable property as far as a plant is concerned and many species have developed ways to prevent them from being stolen. Some surround them or coat them with sharp spines. Others load them with poisons. The tapir, however, has ways of dealing with these defenses. Its tongue is long, muscular and mobile and a tapir can curl it round most spines to reach the leaves. They can even deal with some of the poisons. They travel regularly to special places in the forest where there are clays containing kaolin. Kaolin has the invaluable quality of absorbing and binding with other chemicals, thus making them inactive. We ourselves take it as a remedy for upset stomachs. The tapir rake off considerable quantities of the clay with their teeth of forefeet and swallow it get the same effect.
Liz Ballenger and Phil Myers wrote in Animal Diversity Web: Skeletal features include short, slender legs with radius and ulna separate and equally developed. The fibula is also complete. The feet are mesaxonic. The forefoot has three main digits, and a smaller one (the fifth) is only used when the tapir is walking on soft ground. The hind feet have three digits. All the toes are hoofed. Tapirs have relatively long, laterally compressed skulls with a high braincase and convex profile. The nasal bones are short, arched and freely projecting. The nasal opening is very large. The dental formula of tapirs is similar to that of the equids: 3/3, 1/1, 4/3-4, and 3/3 for a total of 42-44 teeth. The incisors are chisel-shaped and canines are conical. All cheek teeth lack cement. They are low-crowned and strongly lophodont. [Source: Liz Ballenger and Phil Myers, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]
Tapir Behavior
Tapirs are essentially solitary except for females with offspring. Liz Ballenger and Phil Myers wrote in Animal Diversity Web: Tapirs are shy, reclusive rainforest animals that live in nearly any wooded or grassy habitat with a permanent supply of water. They have also been found in dry deciduous forests and mountain forests. Tapirs have one offspring after a gestation of about 13-14 months. Young of all four species have striped markings which are lost after the first six months of life. The young are weaned after 10-12 months, and sexual maturity is reached at about 2-4 years. Tapirs live for approximately 30 years. /[Source: Liz Ballenger and Phil Myers, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]
Tapirs are very good swimmers and are fond of splashing in water and wallowing in mud. David Attenborough wrote: The tapir spends "much of its time close to water and a good place for its tracks is in the sand at the edge of a forest river. They unmistakable. There are four toes on the front feet and three on the back. Even in the muddy ground away from the rivers, the prints are easy to identify. But the animal itself, in spite of being by far the biggest inhabitant of these rain forests, is surprisingly difficult to detect in the shady gloom. You may first become aware of its presence, as it stands quietly feeding maybe twenty yards away, when you hear the snap and rustle of leaves being plucked. The animal is likely to be by itself, unless it is a mature female in which case it may be accompanied by its calf. The youngster will be even more difficult to spot, for if it is within a few weeks of being born it will have a coat dappled with alternating stripes and spots that conceals it very effectively. [Source: “Life of Mammals” by David Attenborough]
Malayan Tapir Habitat and Where They Are Found
Malayan tapirs are found to southern Vietnam, southern Cambodia, southern Myanmar, Tak Province of Thailand, the Malay Peninsula, and Sumatra south of the Toba Highlands. They live in tropical areas in forests, rainforests, wetlands, swamps and agricultural areas at elevations from sea level to 2000 meters (6562 feet). [Source: William Gearty, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]
Malayan tapirs are prmarily forest dwellers that inhabit tropical terrestrial habitats. They occur in rain forests, jungles, primary forests, secondary forests, mature rubber plantations, forest edges, and sometimes open fields or cultivated areas. Tapirs may inhabit previously logged forests for browsing, but require areas of nearby primary forest as refugia and prefer late-stage successional forests to early-stage successional forests.
According to Animal Diversity Web: Although Malayan tapirs have been recorded at altitudes up to 2000 meters, there is a negative correlation between tapir abundance and elevation, with the highest abundance generally in lower slopes and valley bottoms. Malayan tapirs are in similar abundance both near and far from forest edges and are found close to villages and within five kilometers of major cities. Although they are the least aquatic of the extant Tapiridae, Malayan tapirs seek out marshes and rivers for swimming and may wallow in mud holes to inhibit biting insects and cool off in the hot sun. Tapir tracks have been found at tributaries and tapirs are often sighted near headwaters and swamps. In Thailand, these tapirs live in dry dipterocarp and mixed deciduous forests in the rainy season. They move into evergreen forests during the dry season to avoid forest fires and food scarcity. Topography of their habitat generally varies from gentle undulation to steep hills. /=\
Malayan Tapir Characteristics and Diet
Malayan tapirs range in weight from 250 to 540 kilograms (550 to 1190 pounds), with their average weight being 296 kilograms (652 pounds). They have a head and body length of 1.8 to 2.5 meters (5.9 to 8.2 feet) and stand 0.9 to 1.1 meters (3 to 3½ feet) at the shoulder. Malayan tapirs are herbivores (eat plants or plants parts) and also recognized as folivores (eat leaves), frugivores (eat fruits) and lignivores (eat wood). Among the plant foods they eat are leaves, roots, tubers, wood, bark, stems, fruit and bryophytes. Malayan tapirs feed through much of the day and night sort of like elephants because they need so much food to maintain their large size. Sexual Dimorphism (differences between males and females) is present: Females tend to be larger than males by about 25 to 100 kilograms. [Source:William Gearty, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]
Malayan tapirs have large, stocky bodies with a prominent, prehensile proboscis formed by an extended nose and upper lip. William Gearty wrote in Animal Diversity Web Adults have a dramatic color pattern, with a black front half of their body, white sides, and black hind legs. This pattern is often referred to as the "saddle" pattern because of its position and shape. White fur rims the ears. The eyes are small, round, and not very mobile. Malayan tapirs have four toes on their forefeet and three toes on their hind feet, each of which ends in a hoof. The fourth toe of each of the forefeet does not touch the ground, so footprints show the imprints of three digits. Newborn Malayan tapirs lack the adult coat pattern and have a coat with whitish stripes and spots which gradually fade by six months of age. /=\
Tapirs mainly forages tender shoots and leaves of more than 115 species of plants (around 30 are particularly preferred). They move slowly through the forest, pausing often to eat and note the scents left behind by other tapirs in the area. They are selective browsers, selecting high quality food when available. The diet consists of leaves (Baccaurea parviflora and Symplocis crassipes), buds, growing twigs, bark, herbs (Curculigo latifolia and Homalomena deltoidea), low growing succulents (Homalomena species and Phyllagathis rotundifolia), shrubs (Lasianthus maingayi and Helicia attenuata), fruits (Crescentia alata and Virola oleifera), club moss (Selanginella willdenonii), grasses, tubers, and aquatic plants.
Although they are selective browsers, they feed on more than 122 species of plants and do not concentrate feeding in any particular location. Instead, they move in a zigzag fashion feeding on one plant and then moving on to another, often covering great distances. Malayan tapirs are non-ruminant and hind-gut fermenters with an enlarged cecum and a simple stomach. Some seeds that they ingest are not digested and may be dispersed long distances from their origin. Fruit tends to be a large portion of the diet of the species, especially considering they are hind-gut fermenters which generally cope better with high-fiber, low-quality forage, although the relative importance varies between populations and habitats. Malayan tapirs eat between four and five percent of their body weight each day, while pregnant, lactating, or young members of the species may require a higher intake. They may also ingest large amounts of a plant containing a strong liquifying agent permitting easy passage of stools, most likely to assist the smooth functioning of its simple digestive system. The proboscis plays an important role in browsing, used to pluck leaves from branches and place them into the animal's mouth. In order to obtain desired branches or leaves, thin saplings (less than 3.8 centimeters) may be snapped off while thicker saplings or branches (2 to 6.5 centimeters) may be pushed over or walked down. Additionally, Malayan tapirs crave salt and travel upwards of five kilometers to seek out salt licks.
Malayan Tapir Behavior
Malayan tapirs are terricolous (live on the ground), nocturnal (active at night), crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk), motile (move around as opposed to being stationary), sedentary (remain in the same area), have daily torpor (a period of reduced activity, sometimes accompanied by a reduction in the metabolic rate, especially among animals with highmetabolic rates) and solitary. [Source: William Gearty, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]
Malayan tapirs solitary creature that marks out large tracts of land as their territory, though this area usually overlaps with those of other individuals. The size of their range territory is 10 to 25 square kilometers. Females tend to have larger ranges than males. One study followed a female that had a home range of 25 square kilometers while a male from the similar study only had a home range of 12.75 square kilometers. Densities range from 0.30 to 0.44 individuals per square kilometer in high quality habitats, but can be as low as 0.035 individuals per square kilometer in disturbed areas. On average, individuals travel about 0.32 kilometers per day (straight line distance) and one female has been recorded traveling over four kilometers in a single day (total distance). /=\
Tapirs are mainly active at night, though they are not exclusively nocturnal. They tend to eat soon after sunset or before sunrise, and they will often nap in the middle of the night. This behavior characterizes them as crepuscular animals. Tapirs mark out their territories by spraying urine on plants, and they often follow distinct paths which they have bulldozed through the undergrowth. Tapirs often exhibit the flehmen response, a posture in which they raise their snouts and show their teeth to detect scents. This response is frequently exhibited by bulls sniffing for signs of other males or females in oestrus in the area. The animal has very poor eyesight. It relies mainly on its excellent sense of smell and hearing to go about in forest.
Although generally considered solitary, Malayan tapirs may form groups in times of food shortage. In captivity, personalities vary from solitary to social and from tame to aggressive. They are agile and are capable of climbing over small vertical barriers. Individuals maintain regular patterns of sleep during the day and activity during the evening/night. When threatened or frightened, the tapir can run quickly, despite its considerable bulk, and can also defend itself with its strong jaws and sharp teeth. They usually prefer to live near water and often bathe and swim, and they are also able to climb steep slopes. They can walk along the bottom of deep rivers, holding their breath for up to 90 seconds.
Malayan tapirs sense and communicate with vision, touch, sound and chemicals usually detected by smelling. They also employ pheromones (chemicals released into air or water that are detected by and responded to by other animals of the same species). Malayan tapirs communicate with high-pitched squeaks, whistles, clicks, and hiccup-like noises. These vocalizations are made in response to fear or pain, as an appeasement to members of their own species, as a warning call, or during mating. They have an acute sense of smell and good hearing with large, round ears. They often perform visual or scent cues during mating rituals, sometimes performing flehmen to better detect pheromones. Individuals smell and touch each other when first meeting.
Malayan Tapir Mating, Reproduction and Offspring
Malayan tapirs are monogamous (have one mate at a time).They engage in seasonal breeding and breed every two years, often from April to June, with the usually number of offspring being one, although twins have been reported. Males tend to become sexually mature slightly later than females, generally by a few months. Copulation usually takes place at least once during the female's 28-32 day estrous cycle following sexual maturation. [Source: William Gearty, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]
According to Animal Diversity Web: Initial introduction of mates is usually through scent signals and also sometimes visual cues. Sometimes mates will copulate in shallow water. Mates may spend a great deal of time before copulation participating in courtship rituals, such as periods of chasing, sexual investigation, or circling and sniffing of the genitalia. In addition, individuals may initiate biting of the flanks and often use vocalizations such as wheezing or whistling noises. Spraying of urine and flehmen may also occur prior to intromission.
Malayan tapir flehmen
The gestation period of the Malayan tapir is about 390 to 410 days, after which a single offspring is born. Babies weigh seven kilograms at birth and reach a weight of 50 kilograms at one month. Weaning occurs between six and eight months of age, at which time the babies are nearly full-grown. Independence occurs when the mother gives birth to a new offspring, sometimes even later. The animals reach sexual maturity around age three although this may be earlier depending on nutrition and compatibility of the breeding pair.
According to Animal Diversity Web: A healthy calf can usually stand within one or two hours of birth and first nursing occurs within two to five hours, proceeding to feedings two to three times a day. Calves eat solid food as early as two weeks old and are capable of swimming at three weeks old. All care and protection is done by the female parent until independence, although care decreases dramatically after about three months. Calves tend to be followers, not hiders. Often mothers and calves will rest, investigate, and swim together. Most adult males are tolerant of newborns and may even sleep with them, although violence may arise when males attempt to copulate with females too soon after birth of the calf. Newborns bear a vividly spotted and striped pattern that contrasts with the black and white adult pattern. This pattern gradually fades by six months. Malayan tapir calves grow rapidly and are weaned by six to eight months after birth. They normally stay with their mother until the birth of a new offspring, sometimes longer. /=\
Endangered Malayan Tapir
On the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List Malayan tapirs are listed as Endangered. On the US Federal List they are classified as Endangered. In CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild) they are in Appendix I, which lists species that are the most endangered among CITES-listed animals and plants. Because of their size, tapirs have few natural predators. Reports of killings by tigers are scarce. If an individual is attacked, it will run away and find the nearest source of water to escape the chase. They have thickened skin, up to 2.5 centimeters, on the back of the head and nape, thought to be a defensive measure against fanged animals. If a predator does attach to the neck, the tapir will attempt to bash the assailant against a tree. [Source: William Gearty, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]
The main threat to the Malayan tapirs is human activity, including deforestation for agricultural purposes, flooding caused by the damming of rivers for hydroelectric projects, and illegal trade. In Thailand, for instance, capture and sale of a young tapir may be worth $5500.00. In predominantly-Muslim Malaysia and Sumatra the are seldom hunted for food because of their resemblance to pigs and the Muslim taboo on eating pork. In some regions they are hunted for sport or shot accidentally when mistaken for other animals. The tapir’s timid, quiet nature is believed to be one reason it has avoided extinction.
Malayan tapirs has been hunted for meat by aborigines, although that is rare now. They are sometimes regarded as crop pests. In Southwest Sumatra, Malayan tapirs are considered a problem species because they tend to strip the bark from rubber trees. In West Sumatra, they have been reported eating watermelon and cucumber crops. Fruit constitutes a large portion of the tapir diet and they help disperse the seeds of the fruit they eat. They may be the key dispersers of some communities of plants. Malayan tapirs may transport seeds both by swallowing them and defecating later and by eating fruit and spitting out the seeds.
In Malaysia, Malayan tapirs have been given total protection under the Wild Animals and Birds Ordinance No. two of 1955, and they have been protected in Indonesia since 1931. Also, the number of Malayan tapirs in captivity has increased steadily since their status as endangered. Gopalasamy Reuben Clements, co-founder of the Malaysian research group Rimba and an author of studies of tapirs, told mongabay.com. "Probably the most immediate threat to this and other mammal species in [Malaysia] is the increasing trend of clear-felling selectively logged forests for timber-latex rubber clone plantations. Apart from addressing this threat, we should continue implementing actions to link fragmented tapir habitats." Studies show that selectively-logged forests are important habitats for Asian tapirs, adding one more reason not to convert logged forests into monoculture plantations. "For [both] tigers and tapirs, selectively logged forests represent altered but useful and important habitats for these species. It is difficult to generalize about the effects of logging on tapirs, but we have enough information to hypothesize that strictly controlled and sustainable selective logging itself may not be directly harmful for tapirs," Rayan explains, adding that logging may still mean trouble for tapirs if it opens the forests up to poachers. While tapirs are not targeted by hunters in Malaysia, they often fall prey to snares set out for other animals. "The take home message is, logged forests...have a high conservation value for tapirs and possibly other large mammals and therefore should not be converted into other landuse such as monoculture plantations," he says.
More Malayan Tapirs Than Previously Thought
baby Malayan Tapir
Jeremy Hance wrote in mongabay.com, “By identifying individuals, the researchers were able to compile the first Asian tapir density, estimating that 9.49 adult tapirs live in 100 square kilometers of selectively-logging forest in Malaysia. This is an important milestone for estimating total population and trends for the Asian tapir across its habitat. Next the researchers looked again at possible tapir habitat—including primary forests and selectively logged areas—in peninsular Malaysia. [Source: Jeremy Hance, mongabay.com, April 23, 2013 |~|]
"Our models predicted that approximately 37 percent of peninsular Malaysia contains potentially suitable Asian tapir habitats, of which 45 percent occur in selectively logged forests," Clements, who is affiliated with James Cook University and University of Malaya, says. "Overall, we have shown that this species has a wider geographic range than previously thought and we urge a revision to its extent of occurrence in the IUCN Red List distribution map." Combining the findings from both studies, one could infer that the population of Asian tapirs in Malaysia could be well-over 2,000 adult animals. This is good news, as the estimate is higher than the one currently used by the IUCN Red List. |~|
However, Clements cautions that more data will be needed before scientists are confident of these numbers. "We feel it is unwise to extrapolate a population estimate for this species at this juncture because we have only one density estimate from a logged forest," he notes. "I think we should attempt an extrapolation once we have more population density estimates from other forest types and categories, particularly those based on a spatially explicit capture-recapture framework." |~|
Studies: Clements GR, Rayan DM, Aziz SA, Kawanishi K, Traeholt C, Magintan D, Yazi MFA, and Tingley R (2012). Predicting the distribution of the Asian tapir (Tapirus indicus) in Peninsular Malaysia using maximum entropy modelling. INTEGRATIVE ZOOLOGY 7: 402-409; Rayan DM, Shariff M, Doward L, Aziz S, Clements GR, Wong C, Traeholt C and Magintan D (2012). Estimating the population density of the Asian tapir Tapirus indicus from a selectively logged forest in Peninsular Malaysia. INTEGRATIVE ZOOLOGY 7: 373-380.
Studying the Malayan Tapir
Jeremy Hance wrote in mongabay.com, “Little is known about the Asian tapir (Tapirus indicus), including the number surviving. However, researchers in Malaysia are working to change that: a new study for the first time estimates population density for the neglected megafauna, while another predicts where populations may still be hiding in peninsular Malaysia, including selectively-logged areas. [Source: Jeremy Hance, mongabay.com, April 23, 2013 |~|]
"It has been difficult for scientists study [the Asian tapir], probably because it’s a very shy animal," Clements told mongabay.com. "Or maybe aspiring tapir researchers just haven't tried hard enough! But interest in research on the Asian Tapir has picked up in the last 10 years." However, a recent breakthrough came when researchers undertaking a camera trap study on tigers in Gunong Basor Forest Reserve found that they could tell individual Asian tapirs apart based on their markings as well as other features. |~|
"If you look closely...the belly and neck lines are distinct enough for individual identification, provided that the camera trap pictures are clear and show the right angles of a flank or neck. In addition, deep scarring and even damage to the ears or deformities can also be used for individual identification," explains Mark Rayan Darmaraj with WWF-Malaysia and recent graduate from the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent, and an author on both studies as well. "By using these unique features, we were able to know more about the population status of tapirs in our study area." |~|
Another lesson from the research, is that remote camera trapping projects—even when they only target one specie—can teach us much about an ecosystem. "Our findings highlight the importance of making the best of by-catch data from camera trap studies to get population density estimates for non-focal species," Rayan says. "In our case, the study was designed for tigers, but we were also interested to see if we could derive a density estimate for tapirs. We now have baseline information on the population density of Asian Tapirs in one selectively logged forest." He adds that researchers may now turn to other camera trap studies in tapir areas to gather more data on the species' population.
Malayan Tapir in a Zoo Bites Off a Woman’s Arm
In November 1998, Reuters reported: “A Malayan tapir bit off the arm of a woman keeper who was feeding it in its pen, Oklahoma City zoo director Steve Wylie said. The woman was in critical condition at a local hospital, "She was severely injured, and dismembered her left arm. She received a lot of other lacerations and probably some broken bones," Wylie said. He said the female tapir had an infant, which may have been part of the reason it attacked. [Source: Reuters, November 20, 1998]
Jay Hughes of Associated Press wrote: “A tapir pulled a zookeeper into its cage and bit her arm off as she tried to feed the animal. The woman, who also suffered facial injuries and a punctured lung, was in critical condition and undergoing surgery after the attack at the Oklahoma City Zoo. The arm was detached about the mid-bicep level, said Allen Poston, a University Hospital spokesman. The arm was too mangled and contaminated and could not be reattached, Poston said. [Source: AP, November 20, 1998]
Zoo officials aren't certain why the Malayan tapir named Melody attacked the keeper, who was feeding the animal before the zoo opened. The tapir's 2-month-old baby was also in the cage."As I understand it, she opened the door to push the food in and the female grabbed her arm,'' said Steve Wylie, zoo executive director. He said the tapir dragged the keeper into the enclosure and began mauling her. A groundsworker ran for help and a group of employees managed to drag the keeper from the cage.
Sacrificed Tapir Found Near 2,200-Year-Old Chinese Emperor's Tomb
An excavation site of the mausoleum of Han Dynasty Emperor Wen (ruled 180 to 157 B.C.) revealed the remains of a sacrificed a giant panda and a tapir near the ruler's tomb in Xi'an, China. Owen Jarus wrote in Live Science: The discovery of the tapir skeleton surprised archaeologists, as it suggests that this animal — whose range no longer includes China — may have lived in the region during ancient times, the researchers said. While tapir fossils dating back over 100,000 years are known from China, the animals were thought to be extinct in the country before 2,200 years ago. The remains appear to be from the Malayan tapir, which has distinctive black-and-white pattern not unlike those of a giant panda. [Source: Owen Jarus, Live Science, August 19, 2023]
Archaeologists excavated 23 pits containing ancient animal sacrifices near the tomb of Emperor Wen between August 2021 and August 2022, a team led by Songmei Hu, an archaeologist with the Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology, wrote in a paper published on the China Social Sciences Network research database. In addition to the skeletons of the giant panda (Giant panda) and tapir, the team found the remains of gaurs (a species of bison), tigers, green peafowl (also called green peacocks), yaks, golden snub-nosed monkeys and takins (goat-like creature), among other animals buried near Wen's tomb. These species still exist in China, but some are near extinction.
While the discovery is the first physical evidence of a tapir living in China at this time, ancient documents have hinted at their presence in the country. Depictions of animals that look like tapirs are found in ancient Chinese art, and ancient accounts describing what appear to be tapirs are known from ancient texts.
The finding is proof that tapirs once roamed this part of China, according to Donald Harper, the centennial professor of Chinese studies at the University of Chicago, who was not involved in the new research. "Prior to the new discovery, there was no evidence of the tapir inhabiting the geographical area of China in historical times, only prehistoric fossil remains," Harper told Live Science in an email. "Emperor Wen's tapir is the first solid evidence of the tapir's presence in ancient China in historical times."
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Text Sources: Animal Diversity Web animaldiversity.org ; National Geographic, Live Science, Natural History magazine, David Attenborough books, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, Discover magazine, The New Yorker, Time, BBC, CNN, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides, Wikipedia, The Guardian, Top Secret Animal Attack Files website and various books and other publications.
Last updated March 2025