Tapirs have rounded ears placed on the sides of their head. Their big, brown eyes are on the sides of their heads, just like horses! Tapirs can grow to weigh between 400 to 600 pounds, which is like two to three humans put together. They are very shy and it is hard to spot them in the wild.
One of the most amazing parts of the tapir is their nose. They can make their nose longer, like an elephant. They can use it to breathe underwater, using their snout as a snorkel! I wish I had a built-in way to breathe underwater! They also search for food on high growing branches or reach out to smell your hand hoping for food. They have a tiny stub for a tail and have feet separated into three toes like a rhino. Their relatives are surprisingly not the elephant, but a mix between a rhino and a horse. They do not make noises like either animals, only small squeals. Usually that means they want to play!
These strange, but adorable creatures are very important for jungle environments and we are so lucky to be able to see them up close!
Last Thursday I walked into the Horco Molle reserve on a cold rainy morning to find that they had received a present during the early morning hours. Two young tapirs had been found in two very different situations. One was a male, who had been living in a home as a pet. The other one, a female, had fallen into a canal and could not find her way out. Feeling happy and a little bit nervous, we took them in. Nothing could have been cooler than getting to feed both of them! They are still babies which means they drink milk. The little boy loves meal time!
I love animals and I was very excited to meet these baby tapirs.
