Meeting tapirs' nutritional needs in captivity requires understanding their mixed browsing and grazing ecology and the digestive consequences of inappropriate diets.
Tapir nutrition in captivity is frequently inadequate. The tendency to feed accessible, convenient diets — commercial browse pellets, vegetables, and fruit — does not replicate the physical texture and chemical complexity of wild tapir diets. Insufficient fiber causes gastrointestinal dysfunction. Excessive energy-dense food causes obesity that affects mobility, joint health, and reproductive success. Dental problems arising from soft diets can cause chronic pain. Natural browse provision is labor-intensive but nutritionally important. Zoos committed to tapir welfare must invest in maintaining diverse, appropriate browse sources and monitor body condition rigorously. Nutritional improvement often yields dramatic welfare gains in tapirs that were previously lethargic and overweight.