Baird's Tapir

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Baird’s Tapir

Costa Rica’s largest land mammal; the tapir, is by and large a solitary animal. They are found to be active by day or night, but within any given area, they do seem to possess distinct activity patterns. These patterns are thought to be influenced by either climate, or human activity.

The tapir is much more agile than it may appear as they can either pass silently through vegetation or crash away from danger at high speed. Their vision is quite poor, but their hearing and sense of smell are excellent. Tapir are not only capable of ascending almost vertical terrain, but can swim, dive for periods of 15 to 30 seconds, and can also walk along river bottoms with only their head above water. Tapirs have extremely thick skin, which protects them from thorns, splintered branches, and even the claws of large cats. This attribute comes in especially handy when fleeing, as they will flatten anything in their path. Tapirs spend about 70% of their active time eating. Their diet includes leaves, stems and fruits and although three quarters of a tapirs diet consists of the former, if certain fruits are in season and available, the tapir will eat less leaves and stems during that time.

Tapirs spend most of their time foraging and meandering in secondary forest as opposed to primary forest, probably because more accessible vegetation is offered there. That being said, seasonal variation in diet seems to influence habitat use because when the fruits of the Licani tree, a primary forest species, are readily available, the tapirs will spend more time in that habitat. Although tapirs normally forage alone, they have been known to eat together.

Fresh water seems to be one variable that is essential for tapirs when foraging or living in any chosen habitat. Tapirs will normally rest in or close to water, and they seem to find relief from insects by resting in the cool waters; but they also seem to require water in order to defecate, which is usually in clear, shallow, slow-moving river pools. The reason for this is not quite clear. If water is not available, they tend to defecate repeatedly at the same site.

Gestation lasts 13 months and normally results in a single calf. For the first week or so of a young calf’s life, it will be left in a secluded spot and visited at regular intervals for nursing. It is interesting to note that tapirs have been known to attack humans when they felt their young were threatened. Juveniles will accompany their mothers for as long as a year after birth, but don’t reach full size or sexual maturity until they’re three or four years old.

Tapirs led a somewhat carefree life up until the early 1900’s when they were hunted extensively all over Costa Rica for their fatty meat, thick hide and of course, sport. The population of tapirs has dropped drastically over the last 120 years, and they are rarely found outside of protected areas such as Santa Rosa National Park and Corcovado National Park. Tapirs may number no more than several hundred in all of Costa Rica. Even where protected, tapirs mature and reproduce so slowly, populations still have not rebounded from past hunting and unfortunately, tapirs are still frequently being killed around the edges of protected areas.