Tapirs are large, shy forest mammals across South America and Southeast Asia whose welfare is threatened by deforestation, road expansion, and hunting pressure that fragments their increasingly isolated populations.
Tapir welfare is compromised by the progressive reduction and fragmentation of the forest habitats they require. As forest patches shrink and roads cut through remaining habitat, tapirs face the lethal necessity of crossing open ground or roads to access food, water, and mates. Road kills cause severe blunt trauma — tapirs are large enough that vehicle collisions at highway speeds are almost always fatal. Isolation in forest fragments forces inbreeding and reduces population viability. Hunting, though illegal, continues across much of their range — tapirs are slow, approachable, and prized for bushmeat. Deforestation for cattle ranching and soy production in Brazil directly removes tapir habitat, and the associated fires cause burn injuries and force tapirs into open terrain where they are vulnerable.