Every year on April 27, World Tapir Day is observed to raise awareness of the endangered Tapir species and to encourage their protection. The day also focuses to stop the extinction of this endangered species.
Since tapirs have existed since the Eocene era, they are regarded as living fossils. The first World Tapir Day was celebrated in 2008. Tapir populations are dropping, which reflects the state of the natural environment they live in. Deforestation and the spread of human activities into these natural environments affect all indigenous species. Without taking any proper action, Tapirs might disappear without a trace along with many other species.
Tapirs are huge herbivorous animals that live in forests of Southeast Asia, South America, and Central America. The black-and-white Malay tapir, which may weigh up to 800 pounds and lives in the woods and marshes of Malaysia and Sumatra, is the largest in the world and is found only in Southeast Asia. The smallest tapir species are known as Wooly tapirs.
Cloud forests, grasslands, swamps, and jungles are all habitats for tapirs, but they are also threatened by human activity. The seeds they eat are dispersed during their foraging and faeces, which aids in encouraging plant growth in the future.
People and organisations have been sharing the importance of this day through their Twitter handles. “It’s #WorldTapirDay! On this day we raise awareness of the threats they face. Tapirs play a crucial role in protecting their habitats in Central and South America and Southeast Asia. They face extinction unless we act to help them and countless other species,” was one tweet.
Another tweet read, “World Tapir Day is a reminder that more needs to be done to protect these vulnerable species from habitat loss, hunting, and other threats. Act now to ensure a brighter future for tapirs and their habitats.”
