tapir the name for animals, of which species are found both in SE Asia (Tapirus indicus) and S. America (T. terrestris), belonging to the family Tapiridae which is related to the rhinoceros. These shy creatures, of nocturnal habit, live in tropical forests, preferably near water and the vegetation which they like to eat. Thus they are not often seen and are not widely known as food for humans, although they are hunted and eaten by the indigenous peoples of the countries where they are found. Their size (about the same as a donkey, with a maximum weight of 225 kg (500 lb), or even more in Malaysia) is such that one tapir feeds a lot of people.
