The Mountain Tapir or Woolly Tapir is the smallest of
the four species of tapir and is the only one to live outside of
tropical rainforests in the wild. It is most easily distinguished from
other tapirs by its thick woolly coat and white lips. Their wooly coat
is dark brown in colour and they have pale coloured cheeks and throat.
Their ears are large and are coloured white on the rims, they have small
eyes and a large proboscis.
The Mountain Tapir lives,
as the name implies, high in the mountains. But their numbers have
diminished because farmers have extended the grasslands for domesticated
livestock into the mountains. Mountain Tapirs are found in the forests
and grasslands of the Andes at altitudes over 2,000 m (6,560 ft). They
are active at night and spend their days resting among thick vegetation.
Tapirs are herbivores,
and eat a wide range of plants, including leaves, grasses, and
bromeliads. In the wild, particularly common foods include lupins,
Gynoxys, ferns, and umbrella plants. It also seeks out natural salt
licks to satisfy its need for essential minerals. The Mountain Tapir is nocturnal, moving during daybreak and nightfall. In the afternoon, they hide in the bushes.
The Mountain Tapir has always been prey to food and game hunting.
And now, there are plans to begin mining their mountains for minerals,
further destroying the homes of Mountain Tapirs. Because Mountain Tapirs
continue to vanish even today, increased measures must be taken to
expand the protected area. Otherwise, they will become extinct in the
very near future. Source
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