April 27th is World Tapir Day, a special day to celebrate and raise awareness for one of the most unique and endangered animals: the tapir. Known as the national animal of Belize, tapirs are fascinating creatures that deserve our attention and protection. Lupine Studios recently partnered with the Belize Zoo to create merchandise whose profits will directly support the zoo and their conservation efforts.
What is a Tapir?
Tapirs are large, herbivorous mammals found in the jungles, forests, grasslands, and swamps of Central America, South America, and Southeast Asia. Often referred to as “living fossils,” tapirs have roamed the earth for millions of years, making them one of the oldest surviving mammal species. Despite their ancient lineage and important ecological role, tapirs remain relatively unknown and are often overlooked in global conservation efforts.
Closely related to rhinos and horses, tapirs can weigh between 300 and 550 pounds and have a lifespan of 20 to 25 years. Central American tapirs, or as Belizeans affectionately call them, “Mountain Cows,” are the world’s second-largest tapir species and largest native mammals in Central America.
Truly Unique Mammals
One of the most remarkable features of the tapir is its prehensile nose, which it uses to grab food like foliage and fruits. This flexible, snout-like appendage helps them navigate their forest habitat. Tapirs are excellent swimmers, using their nose like a snorkel while gliding through rivers, streams, and ponds. They are incredibly agile in the water, making them well-adapted to life near aquatic environments.
The Central American tapir is active mostly at dusk and throughout the night, so they rely on their excellent hearing and sense of smell to help them travel through the thick vegetation of jungles and forests. And, despite their large size, they don’t make the loud, intimidating sounds you might expect. Instead, they communicate with distinctly squeaky whistles.
World Tapir Day
Despite their uniquely adapted traits, tapirs face serious threats to their survival. The Central American tapir is classified as endangered, and its numbers are dwindling. These creatures have already become extinct in parts of Central America, such as El Salvador and parts of Guatemala. In Belize, their challenges include deforestation and road traffic accidents, which pose a significant risk to their population.
World Tapir Day aims to raise awareness about the tapir species and support the protection of their habitats. These gentle creatures play a vital role in maintaining healthy ecosystems, particularly through seed dispersal. However, they are also among the first to suffer from human encroachment and among the last to return once their habitats are disturbed. Expanding agriculture, mining, deforestation, and infrastructure development are rapidly shrinking the large, undisturbed spaces they need to survive.
The Belize Zoo is at the forefront of conservation efforts for the tapir, running The Tapir Project. This initiative focuses on raising awareness, conducting research, and advocating for the protection of Belize’s beloved national animal. The project also involves rescuing injured tapirs and rehabilitating them, while promoting road safety measures in areas where tapirs are frequently involved in traffic accidents.
Meet Baby Grace!
Grace is the most recent tapir rescue at the Belize Zoo. She was found alone and weak near La Gracia Village after a wildfire had swept through the area. Her mother could not be found nearby. A concerned citizen found her and contacted the Belize Wildlife Clinic so the tapir calf could get the urgent care she needed. Once she was stable, she made her way to the Belize Zoo.
If you’d like to be more involved with Grace’s journey, you can sign up for a one-year temporary “adoption.” Your contribution goes toward her daily care and habitat upgrades. Contact education@belizezoo.org to learn more.
Lupine Studios and the Belize Zoo
Lupine Studios illustrators recently collaborated with the Belize Zoo to create new merchandise. Featuring the work of CEO Evyn Caiazza and intern Sam Mack, these designs cover a variety of species from the Belize Zoo, including: the Fer-de-lance, spider and howler monkeys, jaguars, the Agouti and the Gibnut, crocodiles, various native birds, and of course, the Central American tapir. Learn more about these animals here!
These designs have been made into t-shirts, stickers, and more, and are available to purchase at the Belize Zoo shop. All proceeds from this merchandise goes to support the important conservation work funded by the Belize Zoo.
View the work from this project here
Awareness and Conservation
Although tapirs are the largest native land mammals in Central America, many people still know little about them. Yet their decline signals much more than the loss of a single species; it often marks severe ecological disruption. The disappearance of tapirs can indicate that an entire habitat is nearing collapse, making their conservation all the more urgent. Supporting tapir conservation isn’t just about saving a species. It’s about protecting the ecosystems that sustain countless other forms of life.
Can’t make it to the Belize Zoo? Log onto the zoo’s livecam, a daily stream which features different animal habitats 9:00am to 4:00pm Belize Time (GMT-6)
Sources Consulted
About WTD. World Tapir Day. (n.d.). https://www.tapirday.org/about-wtd.html
Baird’s tapir. Tapir Specialist Group. (2017, September 3). https://tapirs.org/tapirs/bairds-tapir/
The Belize Zoo & Tec on Instagram: “meet our newest rescue, grace the tapir calf!” Instagram. (2025, March 26). https://www.instagram.com/p/DHq1zROR585/?hl=en&img_index=1
The Belize Zoo. (n.d.). Central American tapir. The Belize Zoo. https://www.belizezoo.org/central-american-tapir/
Laing, D. (2025, April 25). Happy World Tapir Day: Get to know the national animal of Belize. Travel Belize. https://www.travelbelize.org/blog/happy-world-tapir-day-get-to-know-the-national-animal-of-belize/
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