Tapirs are ancient, solitary mammals facing habitat loss and hunting, with welfare implications in both wild and captive populations requiring attention.
Wild tapirs face chronic stress from habitat fragmentation, which disrupts ranging, foraging and mating. Road mortality is a significant threat in fragmented landscapes. Captive tapirs require large, naturalistic enclosures with access to deep water pools, mud wallows, and varied vegetation. Social management is complex - pairs can be kept together but must be monitored for compatibility. Tapirs are particularly sensitive to respiratory disease and require specialist veterinary care. Zoo conservation breeding programmes play a role in maintaining genetic diversity for eventual reintroduction.