Tapir

Tapirs are very, very old animals. You can imagine, they lived on our planet back in the days when dinosaurs were running around! That was a long time ago, many, many years ago.

Tapirs like warm countries. They live in the jungle, where there is always a lot of greenery, flowers and water. It's warm and cosy all year round. Some tapirs, such as mountain tapirs, even live in the mountains!

Tapirs are funny animals that look something like a pig, only with a long nose. This long nose is called a proboscis, and it is very handy!

Tapirs also have four toes on their front legs and three toes on their hind legs. And each toe ends in a little hoof. You're probably thinking, "Why do they have so many toes and hooves?" Well, they help tapirs walk on soft ground. If they had fewer toes and hooves, they might get stuck in the soft ground, but this way they can walk easily without fear of getting stuck. As you can see, tapirs have everything they need to survive in the jungle!

Tapirs can be big and small. But the smallest of them all is the mountain tapir. It is smaller than its friends, but it has a very beautiful wavy coat.

What they eat

Tapirs are vegetarians. This means that they like to eat only plant food: leaves, twigs, fruits and berries.

A tapir can use its proboscis to grab leaves from trees and pull out tasty grass. They use their proboscis like we use our hands to pick and eat food. It's very clever and handy, isn't it?

How tapirs live

All tapirs are very fond of water. They are excellent swimmers and can even hide underwater for long periods of time, sticking out only their trunk to breathe. This is how they hide from trouble.

Tapirs are very friendly and peaceful animals. They like to walk in the forest, look for tasty food and just rest in the shade of trees. They are a bit slow, but they are very cute and charming!