Tapirs are large, ancient mammals facing severe population declines across Central and South America and Southeast Asia, driven by deforestation, hunting, and vehicle collisions on roads cutting through their forest habitats.
Tapirs struck by vehicles on forest roads suffer acute traumatic injuries that are often not immediately fatal, leading to prolonged suffering before death or rescue. Their large body size means collisions are often violent, causing severe internal injuries, broken bones, and organ damage. Surviving injured tapirs in remote forest areas may suffer for extended periods before they are found and treated by wildlife rescue teams. Habitat fragmentation by roads forces tapirs to cross vehicle corridors regularly, with mortality concentrated on roads traversing or adjacent to remaining forest patches. The combination of low reproductive rates and road mortality can suppress population recovery even in areas where forest cover is maintained.