What it is
The Malayan tapir (Tapirus indicus) is the largest of the tapirs, a heavy plant eater with a short, flexible trunk formed by the nose and upper lip. Adults are black at the front and back with a broad white saddle, while the young are brown with pale stripes and spots. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists it as Endangered.
Range
Tropical forests of Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Sumatra.
What happened
It lives alone and feeds at night on leaves, shoots and fruit, often near water. Its bold pattern breaks up its outline in the dark forest.
When / status
Endangered now, as its forests shrink.
Human role
Clearing of lowland forest for plantations and farms, hunting and road deaths threaten it.