A Tapir
Did you know that tapirs are actually related to horses and rhinos? They’re one of the oldest surviving mammal species, yet they are widely unknown. These cute earth renewers play an important role in fortifying our ecosystems. As seed dispersers and browsers, tapirs eat various fruits and vegetables, which helps maintain plant diversity and promotes forest health overall.
Tapirs are being driven to extinction by poachers hunting them for their hide, but scientists are fighting back. They’re breeding tapirs in zoos and then releasing them into the wild where they belong. We can’t sit idly by and watch as these magnificent creatures disappear forever.