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Animal Guide

Baird's Tapir

17 destinations · 10 states

Native Range
Southern Mexico through Central America and northwestern Colombia

Baird's tapirs are large forest mammals that can look surprisingly calm for their size. Their most distinctive feature is the flexible, trunk-like snout, which they use to grasp leaves, fruit, twigs, and other vegetation. Watch one feeding and you'll see the snout constantly moving, sniffing and reaching into places its mouth could not easily access. Tapirs are strong swimmers and often spend time around rivers, ponds, and muddy areas, where they can cool off and escape heat. Their stocky bodies and short legs may suggest a slow pace, but tapirs can move quickly when they need to, pushing through dense vegetation with surprising ease. Young tapirs have a completely different pattern from adults, with rows of pale spots and stripes that help camouflage them in forest shadows. Baird's tapirs are also important seed dispersers, carrying seeds through the forest after eating fruit. At a zoo or wildlife destination, the best moments often come when a tapir begins exploring with its nose. That little snout can turn an apparently quiet animal into a surprisingly busy browser.

Baird's Tapir

Where to see Baird's Tapir

17 destinations across 10 states

17 destinations

Audubon Zoo

New Orleans, LA

Bergen County Zoo

Paramus, NJ

BREC's Baton Rouge Zoo

Baton Rouge, LA

Brevard Zoo

Melbourne, FL

Franklin Park Zoo

Boston, MA

Houston Zoo

Houston, TX

Los Angeles Zoo

Los Angeles, CA

Louisiana Purchase Gardens & Zoo

Monroe, LA

Mesker Park Zoo

Evansville, IN

Metro Richmond Zoo

Moseley, VA

Milwaukee County Zoo

Milwaukee, WI

Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens

Naples, FL

Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society

West Palm Beach, FL

Reid Park Zoo

Tucson, AZ

San Diego Zoo

San Diego, CA

San Francisco Zoo

San Francisco, CA

Zoo World Panama City Beach

Panama City Beach, FL

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