Displacement of the Malayan Tapir (Tapirus indicus) in Peninsular Malaysia from 2006 to 2010

David Magintan; Carl Traeholt; Kayal V. Karuppanannan

Articles

Vol. 21 No. 29 (2012)

Displacement of the Malayan Tapir (Tapirus indicus) in Peninsular Malaysia from 2006 to 2010

David Magintan^▸^▾
Carl Traeholt^▸^▾
Kayal V. Karuppanannan^▸^▾

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Submitted: 10 July 2025
Published: 2012-12-01

Abstract

Peninsular Malaysia is the centre of the Malayan Tapir’s, Tapirus indicus, distribution range. Tapirs are found in every forest type, including peat swamps up to lower montane forest. The Department of Wildlife and National Parks’ (DWNP) wildlife inventories have recorded signs of tapirs in lowland areas and up to 1430m near Gunung Tahan, 1,720m at Gunung Benom in Krau Wildlife Reserve and 1730m at Gunung Bintang Hijau. Tapirs were recorded in forest fringes as well as logged disturbed forest, and occasionally passing through rubber and oil palm plantations. William and Petrides (1980) reported that tapirs were found in all states of Peninsular Malaysia, and although its current distribution range, according to states, remains similar, its effective range has been reduced to primarily the main range, Belum forest complex (including Ulu Muda), greater Taman Negara forest complex, Pahang peat swamp forest and Endau-Rompin forest complex.

References

Bradshaw, CJA., Sodhi, NS. and Brook, B. (2009). Tropical turmoil: a biodiversity tragedy in progress. Front Ecol Environ, 7(2): 79-87.
Dermawan, TH. (2001). Disappearing Diversity: An Overview on Indonesia’s Degrading Forest and its Biodiversity - Indonesia Case Study. CIFOR, Bogor, Indonesia. 32 pp
Dobson, A., Lodge, D., Alder, J., Cumming, GS., Keymer, J., Mcglade, J., Mooney, H., Rusak, JR., Sala, O., Wolters, V., Wall, D., Winfree, R. and Xenopoulos, MA. (2006). Habitat loss, trophic collapse, and the decline of ecosystem services. Ecology, 87(8): 1915-1924
DWNP (2009). Tapir information sheet. DWNP, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
DWNP (2008). National Tiger Action Plan for Malaysia 2008 – 2020. DWNP, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
DTCP (Department of Town and Country Planning) (2005). National Physical Plan. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
FAO (2009). The state of the World’s Forests. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, 168pp.
Fuller, DO., Jessup, TC. and Salim, A. (2004). Deforestation trends in a tropical landscape and implications for endangered large mammals. Conservation Biology,18(1): 249-254.
Holden, J., Yanuar, A. & Martyr, D J. (2003). The Asian Tapir in Kerinci Seblat National Park, Sumatra: Evidence collected through photo-trapping. Oryx 37 (1): 34 – 40.
JPSM (2008). Forestry Statistics Peninsular Malaysia 2008. Jabatan Perhutanan Semenanjung Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur.
Kadir, A. and Hasdi, H. (2003). Distribution Of The Malayan Tapir (Tapirus indicus) In Peninsular Malaysia: Preliminary Result. The Journal of Wildlife and National Parks 21: 13 – 19.
Kawanishi, K., Sunquist, M. & Othman, S. (2002). Malayan Tapir (Tapirus indicus): Far from Extinction in a Malaysian Rainforest. Tapir Conservation 11(1): 23 – 27.
Kinnaird, MF., Sanderson, EW., O’brien, TG., Wibisono, HT. and Woolmer, G. (2003). Deforestation trends in a tropical landscape and implications for endangered large mammals. Conservation Biology, 17(1): 245-257.
Khan, M (1997). Status and Action Plan of The Asian Tapir (Tapirus indicus). IUCN Gland, Switzerland.
Koh, LP., Butler, RA. and Bradshaw, CJA. (2009). Conversion of Indonesia’s peatlands. Front Ecol Environ, 7(5): 238.
Novarino, W., Karimah, SN., Silmi, M., Syafri, M. (2004). Habitat Use by Malay Tapir (Tapirus indicus) in West Sumatra, Indonesia. Tapir Conservation 13(2): 14 – 18.
Traeholt, C. and M. Sanusi (2009). Population Estimates of Malay Tapir, Tapirus indicus, by Camera Trapping in Krau Wildlife Reserve, Malaysia. Tapir Conservation 18(1): 18-26.
Williams, KD. and GA. Petrides (1980). Browse use, feeding behavior and management of the Malay Tapir. Journal of Wildlife Management 44 (2): 489 – 494.
Williams KD. (1979). Radio-tracking tapirs in the rain forest of West Malaysia. Malayan Nature Journal 32: 253-258.
Williams, KD. (1978). Aspects of the ecology and behavior of the Malayan tapir (Tapirus indicus Desmarest) in the National Park of West Malaysia. M.S. Thesis. Michigan State Univ. 54pp.
Zainal Zahari, Z., Julia, NSC., Nasaruddin, O. & Ahmad Azhar, M. (2001). Displacement Of Asian Elephants Elephas maximus, Sumatran Rhinoceros Dicerorhinus sumatrensis and Malayan Tapirs Tapirus indicus in Peninsular Malaysia. The Journal of Wildlife and National Parks 19: 13 – 18.

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Keywords

Peninsula Malaysia
Tapirus indicus
Habitat loss
Palm oil

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Magintan, D., Traeholt, C., & Karuppanannan, K. V. (2012). Displacement of the Malayan Tapir (Tapirus indicus) in Peninsular Malaysia from 2006 to 2010. Tapir Conservation, 21(29), 13-17. http://www.tapirconservation.org/index.php/tc/article/view/138

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[1] Bradshaw, CJA., Sodhi, NS. and Brook, B. (2009). Tropical turmoil: a biodiversity tragedy in progress. Front Ecol Environ, 7(2): 79-87.

[2] Dermawan, TH. (2001). Disappearing Diversity: An Overview on Indonesia’s Degrading Forest and its Biodiversity - Indonesia Case Study. CIFOR, Bogor, Indonesia. 32 pp

[3] Dobson, A., Lodge, D., Alder, J., Cumming, GS., Keymer, J., Mcglade, J., Mooney, H., Rusak, JR., Sala, O., Wolters, V., Wall, D., Winfree, R. and Xenopoulos, MA. (2006). Habitat loss, trophic collapse, and the decline of ecosystem services. Ecology, 87(8): 1915-1924

[4] DWNP (2009). Tapir information sheet. DWNP, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

[5] DWNP (2008). National Tiger Action Plan for Malaysia 2008 – 2020. DWNP, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

[6] DTCP (Department of Town and Country Planning) (2005). National Physical Plan. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

[7] FAO (2009). The state of the World’s Forests. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, 168pp.

[8] Fuller, DO., Jessup, TC. and Salim, A. (2004). Deforestation trends in a tropical landscape and implications for endangered large mammals. Conservation Biology,18(1): 249-254.

[9] Holden, J., Yanuar, A. & Martyr, D J. (2003). The Asian Tapir in Kerinci Seblat National Park, Sumatra: Evidence collected through photo-trapping. Oryx 37 (1): 34 – 40.

[10] JPSM (2008). Forestry Statistics Peninsular Malaysia 2008. Jabatan Perhutanan Semenanjung Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur.

[11] Kadir, A. and Hasdi, H. (2003). Distribution Of The Malayan Tapir (Tapirus indicus) In Peninsular Malaysia: Preliminary Result. The Journal of Wildlife and National Parks 21: 13 – 19.

[12] Kawanishi, K., Sunquist, M. & Othman, S. (2002). Malayan Tapir (Tapirus indicus): Far from Extinction in a Malaysian Rainforest. Tapir Conservation 11(1): 23 – 27.

[13] Kinnaird, MF., Sanderson, EW., O’brien, TG., Wibisono, HT. and Woolmer, G. (2003). Deforestation trends in a tropical landscape and implications for endangered large mammals. Conservation Biology, 17(1): 245-257.

[14] Khan, M (1997). Status and Action Plan of The Asian Tapir (Tapirus indicus). IUCN Gland, Switzerland.

[15] Koh, LP., Butler, RA. and Bradshaw, CJA. (2009). Conversion of Indonesia’s peatlands. Front Ecol Environ, 7(5): 238.

[16] Novarino, W., Karimah, SN., Silmi, M., Syafri, M. (2004). Habitat Use by Malay Tapir (Tapirus indicus) in West Sumatra, Indonesia. Tapir Conservation 13(2): 14 – 18.

[17] Traeholt, C. and M. Sanusi (2009). Population Estimates of Malay Tapir, Tapirus indicus, by Camera Trapping in Krau Wildlife Reserve, Malaysia. Tapir Conservation 18(1): 18-26.

[18] Williams, KD. and GA. Petrides (1980). Browse use, feeding behavior and management of the Malay Tapir. Journal of Wildlife Management 44 (2): 489 – 494.

[19] Williams KD. (1979). Radio-tracking tapirs in the rain forest of West Malaysia. Malayan Nature Journal 32: 253-258.

[20] Williams, KD. (1978). Aspects of the ecology and behavior of the Malayan tapir (Tapirus indicus Desmarest) in the National Park of West Malaysia. M.S. Thesis. Michigan State Univ. 54pp.

[21] Zainal Zahari, Z., Julia, NSC., Nasaruddin, O. & Ahmad Azhar, M. (2001). Displacement Of Asian Elephants Elephas maximus, Sumatran Rhinoceros Dicerorhinus sumatrensis and Malayan Tapirs Tapirus indicus in Peninsular Malaysia. The Journal of Wildlife and National Parks 19: 13 – 18.