The Malayan tapir inhabits Southeast Asian tropical forests. Adults have large black-and-white areas on the body.
A flexible snout formed from the nose and upper lip grasps food. Newborns have white stripes.
Malayan tapirs visit mineral-rich pools in forests. At artificially supplemented sites in Peninsular Malaysia, they were observed drinking, and at one deeper site, swimming. Small wet places can be repeatedly visited parts of their surroundings.
In 2017, researchers compared artificial saltlicks with nearby forest sites using camera traps across three wildlife reserves. They recorded 198 independent tapir encounters at artificial licks and two at forest cameras. Records at least an hour apart were treated as separate encounters, allowing repeated visits by the same animal.
An encounter at a saltlick lasted about 17 minutes on average, longer than at forest cameras. Use was especially apparent in tapirs and some other mammals.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
Peninsular Malaysia’s wildlife department established the studied artificial saltlicks in 2011–2012 to supplement mineral resources in wildlife habitat. The 2020 study documented frequent use by Malayan tapirs. The authors noted risks to natural licks from forest development, while identifying the nutritional and health benefits of artificial licks as questions still to be resolved. They also recommended comparisons with natural licks and forest clearings.