~Shakespeare~
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Borneo island is part of the Malay Archipelago. In 1963 the northern part of the island - North Borneo - joined the
Malaysian federation. Until recently, this island was one of the lesser known parts of the world. Rainfall in Borneo is about 150 inches per year with a daytime temperature of 80 to 90 degrees Farenheight throught the year. These wet and hot equatorial climatic conditions are suitable for tapirs, who have survived in this environment, around the world for eons. The tapir, is a nocturnal herbivorous ungulate animal of the jungles of Central & South American and Southeast Asia. The Malayan or Asian tapir ( Tapirus indicus) use to inhabit most of Southeast Asia, including the countries of Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, but in recent times it has become extinct in most of these places. The Malayan tapir belongs to the order Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates). It has four toes on the front feet and three toes on the hind feet. The toes are hoof shaped and the middle toe is larger than the other widely separated toes. It is the largest of the tapir species, weighing about 800 to 900 pounds. The side section of its body has a unique pattern of white with dark front and rear quarters, which makes the tapir's outline hard to see in the moonlit shadows of the equatorial forest. The Malayan tapir has been successfully kept and bred in zoos throughout the world, but there are very few in captivity. Four species of tapir exist in the world. The Malayan tapir lives in Southeast Asia, while the other three live in the Americas. Baird's tapir (Tapirus bairdii) Bazilian tapir (Tapirus terrestris) Woolly Mountain tapir (Tapirus pinchaque) Asian or Malayan tapir (Tapirus indicus ). 
ORDER: Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates)
SUBORDER:
FAMILY: Tapiridae
GENUS: Tapirus
SPECIES: indicus
SUBSPECIES: malayanus (Sumatra and the Malayan Peninsula)
MALAYSIAN NAME: Badak Tampong, Machan, Cipan, Tenuk, Badak Murai and Teronok.
SIZE: Length - 6 to 8 feet, height - 3.5 feet
WEIGHT: 600 lbs. to 800 lbs.
GESTATION: 13 months (390-395 days). One calf in 1 1/2 years or 2 years. They can breed at any time but usually in April or May. A single calf is normally born there can occasionally be twins. The baby tapir is able to travel with its mother almost immediately.
COLORATION: The adult tapir has an interesting color pattern of black and white. The head, shoulders, fore and hind limbs, tail, chest and belly are dark brown or black. The black coloration of the head, shoulders and legs are quite obscure in the usually dark forest environment. Baby tapirs are born with gray/white spotted stripes running lengthwise on body, which disappear at about 5 to 8 months. The contrasting bicolor blends the tapir with its environment.
LIFE SPAN: 30 years
BEHAVIOUR: Tapirs are nocturnal and solitary creatures, with a love for dense cover and water. They are generally territorial and possibly mate for life. Small tapir family groups are seen in the wild sometimes, most often a mother and offspring - but the tapir usually maintains a solitary existence. They are also strong and agile runners, and tend to evade predators or deter them with their tough hides and by snapping and biting. They like to bathe, and will make treks to pools and rivers for this purpose. They swim well, climb well and bulldoze paths through the vegetation of their habitats. They tend to feed in the early or late hours of the day. They normally sleep during the middle part of the night. This is not a hard-and-fast rule, and they can be active at any hour. Tapirs are generally harmless, gentle and tame in captivity, but can be ferocious when provoked.
DIET: Tapirs are herbivorous and eat tree shoots, water plants' foliage and succulent herbs.
In captivity, they survive on a diet of beet pulp, grain mixture, kale, carrots, alfalfa hay, bread, potaoes & fruits. In Malaysian zoos, they eat the leaves and shoots of the Straits Rhododendrum, sweet potatoes, tapioca, among other foods.
HABITAT: Tapis prefer a wet climate and usually live near water, although they are sometimes found in comparatively dry forests.
FEATURES: The shape of the tapir is different from other animals. It is larger and higher on its hind and smaller on its fore. Its peculiar frame places more weight on the hind part of the body especially on its legs. The splayed feet, with four toes on each front foot and three on each back foot, help them walk in muddy and soft ground. They have been described as having brown eyes or having eyes with a bluish cast to them . Recently, that bluish cast, has been found to be corneal cloudiness, often caused by excessive exposure to light. Tapirs are dense and bulky with little hair on their hard, tough skin, and are very muscular, with strong jaws. They also have a long, flexible snout which resembles a short trunk. They also have keen hearing and a keen sense of smell.
These strikingly-marked animals, built for survival and existing unchanged for millions of years are now at risk of going extinct. The mountain tapir is the most seriously threatened of the four, though all species are now endangered due to hunting and encroachment and habitat destruction through deforestation by humans through commercial logging, oil exploration, establishment of plantations, mining, and settlement.In CITES - Appendix I they are rated as - "Most restricted; species threatened with extinction." 
This is one of a number of tapir stamps collected by Robert A. Wilson.
 
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Copyright © Gerard D'Cruz 1997
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