Malay tapirs are glorious. These adorable animals spend their time innocently wandering around the rainforests of Southeast Asia, blissfully grazing on foliage and keeping to themselves. Often disguised in the deep undergrowth, they rarely encounter humans face to face, so we actually know surprisingly little about them.
But what we do know is shocking.
The forests they call home have become a literal death trap. The trails they use daily have been filled with tiger snares, and tapirs are being caught in the crossfire.
The effect is devastating. The poorly sighted tapirs, who try so hard to stay out of trouble, end up walking right into the traps.
It is a sickening sight. The snares cause horrific pain, tightening with each tug as the tapirs try to pull free, and the struggle can last for many hours, the cables tearing through their skin. The result is a slow and agonising death.
And the most depressing part is yet to come.
As tapir meat is considered forbidden by most locals, when these poor creatures are eventually found by poachers, they are ruthlessly and uselessly discarded.
It’s like twisting a knife in a wound - not only are these tapirs being subjected to such barbaric pain, but the whole process is totally needless and utterly devoid of sense. It is heartbreaking beyond measure.
This is why we need your help – tapirs have a relatively slow reproduction rate so their population could take many years to recover. The only way to end this tragedy is to clear the snares, and clear them fast.
Through your donations, we can get rangers patrolling the forest, detecting and safely removing snares to help protect tapirs and other wildlife. This will make a crucial difference in securing the future of the Malay tapir.
Let’s save these wonderful creatures before it is too late.
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