Rapid Fire
Reappearance of South American Tapir
- 20 Feb 2025
- 1 min read
The South American tapir (Lowland tapirs) has been spotted in the Cunhambebe State Park (Brazil’s Costa Verde region) for the first time in 100 years.
- The last confirmed sighting was in 1914 in the Serra dos Orgaos National Park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- About Tapir: It is the largest land mammal in South America and has short legs and a rounded body, with a kind of flexible trunk.
- They are herbivores.
- Known as a "forest gardener," the tapir aids seed dispersal, and creates natural trails that allow sunlight to reach the forest floor, enhancing biodiversity.
- IUCN Status: Endangered.
- South American tapirs are one of four species of tapir alongside the Baird’s tapir, mountain tapir and Malayan tapir found in the forests of Central and South America as well as Southeast Asia.
