Brazilian tapirs are the largest South American terrestrial mammals, facing hunting, habitat loss, and road mortality across their range.
Hunters using dogs to chase tapirs into water cause prolonged fear and exhaustion before killing. Snares cause severe leg wounds and can hold animals for days. Road mortality causes traumatic deaths. Habitat fragmentation isolates populations, reducing genetic diversity and increasing inbreeding stress. Calves separated from mothers by hunting face near-certain death.