Tapirs are the largest native land mammals in South and Central America and Southeast Asia. Forest fragmentation threatens their welfare by restricting ranging and increasing human conflict.
Tapir welfare in fragmented landscapes is compromised by restricted movement, road mortality risk, and reduced access to water and food resources. These large, slow-moving animals are poorly adapted to surviving human-dominated landscapes between forest fragments. Conservation corridors that connect remaining forest patches allow tapirs to maintain the large territories their welfare requires, reduce inbreeding, and reduce road mortality by enabling safe movement between habitat areas.