Which endangered tapir is also known as the Asian tapir?

The Malayan tapir is the endangered tapir also known as the Asian tapir. Its scientific name is Tapirus indicus, and it is the only living tapir species native to Asia.

The species occurs in Southeast Asia, including the Malay Peninsula, southern Thailand, Myanmar, and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Its striking black-and-white adult coat provides camouflage in dim forest light: the dark front and rear contrast with a broad pale middle section. Young tapirs are brown with white stripes and spots, a pattern that helps them hide from predators.

Malayan tapirs are the largest of the four living tapir species. They are herbivores that browse on leaves, shoots, and aquatic plants, often moving through forests and wetlands at night. A frequent mix-up is identifying the Brazilian, Baird’s, or mountain tapir; those species live in the Americas, whereas the Malayan tapir is Asian.

The species has been listed as Endangered since 2008. Deforestation, oil-palm expansion, habitat fragmentation, and vehicle collisions threaten its remaining populations, which number fewer than 2,500 mature individuals.