The Asian tapir, sometimes also called the Malayan tapir, is the largest of the world\u2019s four tapir species and the only one found outside Latin America. It ranges from southern Myanmar and Thailand to Sumatra and is considered endangered, with fewer than 2,500 mature individuals remaining, according to the latest assessment<\/a> conducted in 2014 for the IUCN, the global wildlife conservation authority.<\/p>\n Boldly black-and-white patterned adult tapirs can weigh up to 350 kilograms (772 pounds), whereas the more discrete brown coats of calves are flecked with white, perfectly camouflaging them against the dappled light of the forest floor. As nocturnal understory specialists, they have stubbornly thick hides to protect them against scrubby thorns, and a protruding prehensile snout for gathering foliage and fruits that doubles as a \u201csnorkel\u201d while rummaging underwater for aquatic plants.<\/p>\n Although Asian tapirs are preyed on by tigers and leopards, by far their greatest threat is humans. Habitat loss and deaths in snares set by hunters are thought to have halved their numbers across their range over the past few decades, according to the IUCN assessment.<\/p>\n The team in Thailand examined 91 photos of tapirs taken by camera traps set up at 40 locations around the forest complex between 2016 and 2017. The camera traps had originally been used to study the two bear species that live in the landscape: the Asian black bear (Ursus thibetanus) and the sun bear (Helarctos malayanus). In the process, the camera traps also photographed many other species, including tapirs. By observing distinctive physical traits like scars, ear marks and signs of sexual identity, the researchers identified at least 43 individual tapirs, mostly photographed at night.<\/p>\n From their modeling, they estimated a tapir population density of between 6-10 individuals per 100 square kilometers (about 15-26 per 100 square miles) in their study area. This is comparable to what\u2019s been found in similar habitats in Peninsular Malaysia, such as Tengku Hassanal Wildlife Reserve (previously known as Krau Wildlife Reserve) and Gunung Basor Forest Reserve<\/a>.<\/p>\n The researchers note that this density of tapirs would yield a population size of up to 436 mature individuals across the Khlong Saeng\u2013Khao Sok Forest Complex, dwarfing previous IUCN estimates of \u201cless than 250 individuals\u201d across both Thailand and Myanmar combined.<\/p>\n While the higher-than-expected population size theoretically turns assumptions about the species\u2019 status upside down, the researchers say their estimate should be \u201cinterpreted with caution.\u201d It\u2019s unlikely that tapirs are spread evenly across the forest complex, they say, so the actual population size is probably much smaller.<\/p>\n The Khlong Saeng\u2013Khao Sok Forest Complex is nonetheless \u201can important stronghold for Asian tapirs that warrants dedicated conservation attention and research,\u201d the study says.<\/p>\n Protecting remaining forest refuges where tapirs persist is crucial for the long-term survival of the dwindling species, experts say. \u201cThey are large, slow-reproducing species requiring large areas of specific habitat [and] play a vital role as seed dispersers, helping to maintain biodiversity in plant communities,\u201d Naparat Suttidate, an ecologist at Walailak University in Thailand, told Mongabay.<\/p>\n Naparat, who wasn\u2019t involved in the new study, previously showed<\/a> that habitat fragmentation poses a major threat to Asian tapirs in Thailand. As a shy and nocturnal mammal, they typically stay away from forest edges. \u201cThe few populations which remain in Peninsular Thailand persist within protected areas and their numbers continue to dwindle,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The Khlong Saeng\u2013Khao Sok camera-trap data also revealed valuable insights into tapir behavior. One curious finding was that tapir numbers in Khlong Saeng\u2013Khao Sok increased with elevation \u2014 a direct contrast to previous findings from Sumatra<\/a>. The researchers say this might reflect stronger seasonal changes in Thai forests compared to the more static year-round conditions in the forests of Sumatra. Tapirs in Thailand may be seeking Sumatra-like forest features that occur at higher elevations there.<\/p>\n Another discovery was differing \u201cspace use\u201d between the sexes. Males were twice as likely to show up on the camera traps than females, indicating females might have significantly larger home ranges than males.<\/p>\n The results also show how existing camera-trap data sets can be used to learn more about Asian tapirs and other animals with small home ranges that might otherwise be overlooked, the researchers say. In this way, the study provides a new way of gathering insights into enigmatic and little-studied species in the face of relentless habitat loss and environmental change.<\/p>\n Understanding more about tapirs can also bring benefits for their forest habitats, according to Naparat. \u201cThey act as an iconic symbol for education and ecotourism,\u201d he said. \u201cFascination with these creatures and concern for their future sparks interest, funding and action that benefits tropical forest conservation as a whole.\u201d<\/p>\n Banner image: An adult Asian tapir (Tapirus indicus). Image by \u00a9Royle Safaris<\/a>. CC BY-NC 4.0<\/a>.<\/p>\n Carolyn Cowan is a staff writer for Mongabay.<\/p>\n Citations:<\/p>\n Petersen, W. J., Steinmetz, R., Sribuarod, K., & Ngoprasert, D. (2026). Insights into the abundance and ecology of Asian tapirs using camera-trap bycatch data. Mammalian Biology. doi:10.1007\/s42991-025-00557-0<\/a><\/p>\n Rayan, D. M., Mohamad, S. W., Dorward, L., Aziz, S. A., Clements, G. R., Christopher, W. C., \u2026 Magintan, D. (2012). Estimating the population density of the Asian tapir (Tapirus indicus) in a selectively logged forest in Peninsular Malaysia. Integrative Zoology, 7(4), 373-380. doi:10.1111\/j.1749-4877.2012.00321.x<\/a><\/p>\n Suwannaphong, T., Radeloff, V. C., Limmun, W., & Suttidate, N. (2024). The effect of habitat fragmentation on Malay tapir abundances in Thailand\u2019s protected areas. Global Ecology and Conservation, 54, e03186. doi:10.1016\/j.gecco.2024.e03186<\/a><\/p>\n Holden, J., Yanuar, A., & Martyr, D. J. (2003). The Asian tapir in Kerinci Seblat National Park, Sumatra: Evidence collected through photo-trapping. Oryx, 37(1), 34-40. doi:10.1017\/S0030605303000097<\/a><\/p>\n See related story:<\/p>\n Small mammals stranded by hydropower dams die out surprisingly fast: Study<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Adult](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/d.-8729168612_827be6144c_o-scaled.jpg\")
An adult Asian tapir (Tapirus indicus), photographed in Taman Negara National Park in Peninsular Malaysia. Image by Bernard Dupont<\/a>. CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Asian](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/c.-\u00a9chinotto_chena.jpg\")
The black-and-white coloration of adult Asian tapirs breaks up their outline in the forest undergrowth. Image by \u00a9chinotto_chena<\/a>. CC BY-NC 4.0<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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