| For the record, we did see a truly "wild" tapir in Taman Negara National Park by spending a night in the Kumbang Hide. However as it was pitch black night at the time, the shots from that sighting were little more than "sightings" quality. Here's the official "sightings" shot of a purely "wild", way out in the woods Tapir: |
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| The other tapir on my site is wild in that it has no cages around it and roams freely around the park as it wishes. It disappears sometimes for weeks and can cross paths with predators(tigers) and others wild tapir. There are a lot of grey areas as to whether an animal is truly "wild" or not (being fed by people? released from captivity? etc). Some (not that many really but some) of the pictures on my website here are of animals that were being fed or frequented an area because of human food somehow. To me, this guy was definitely a "wild" tapir just like monkeys, squirrels, raccoons searching for food. There are at least 4 different stories of how this Tapir came to be a regular at the Mutiara Lodge depending on who you ask. The lodge staff, park rangers, guides and management all seem to have a different version of why it is at the lodge each night for feeding time. It was either born in a zoo then released here, found after it's mother was poached and raised by the rangers, started arriving for feedings during the making of a film or was hit by a car and brought to a hospital then released here. Whichever is true, it rarely misses the free meal of watermelons just after dark each night though it does wonder around the surrounding forests usually. |
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| Generally, he's real docile and only shows an interest in being fed. Many tourists walk right up and pet him as Hinling and I did. As you can see, it's actually a large animal. The largest of the 5 known Tapir species in fact. Actually he was totally adorable most of the time! He had a really cute look on his face usually. |
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| Unfortunately, an animal like this is NOT a pet. However it got there, it still exhibited most of the same behaviors as a wild Tapir would. Tapirs in general are very unpredictable and agressive. They're all very prone to biting in my experience. After having been biten on the knee by a tapir in Brazil some years back, I was already nervous of this guy. Sure enough, at one point he charged me, chased me down and bit my backpack. Fortunately I was unhurt and got away. Only moments later, he set his sights on my wife Hinling. On his first pass, he only bit her camera but he immediately made a second attack. He was faster than you would think and before either Hinling or I could react, he had bit her hand badly and threw her violently to the ground right in front of me. Fortunately, he backed off after that but Hinling was injured. |
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| The park ranger raced Hinling to the clinic where she received stitches and antibiotics. We were so lucky. A very large animal like that could certainly have done far more damage. Many of the people working at the lodge were constantly scared of this guy. During our next 7 days at the lodge, 4 more people were biten by this tapir though none more severe than a torn shirt luckly. We also heard many stories of other people badly biten by him. I guess he provides the clinic a lot of business! |
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| After that, Hinling was smart enough to keep a healthy distance from him, but I still needed a good picture for my site here! Some nights later I went out with a flashlight at around 1am to look around the forest trails surrounding the lodge. I kid you not, this same tapir saw the flashlight and chased me down the trails! It cut off my route and pursued me for over 20 minutes. Running in the dark down tight tunnel-like paths in the dense rainforest, looking back to see this huge beast running you down is as close to a horror movie as I've ever been in real life. My heart was racing hearing him crunching through the plants after me! |
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8 days in total I worked to get a decent shot of this Tapir outside the area he got fed at. It was a balance of the risks of an attack with the challenges of finding him other than at feeding time and my commitment to get the shot even if it were going to be my last. It was on our very last night that I caught a break with this guy. I had taken to carrying an umbrella to shield me from his bites. But on that last night, it was just luck that I needed. He ate so much watermelon he got dopey! He passed out for a nap for 2 hours right after pigging out. Ha! So I hung out there by him and even pet him while he was calm. When he got up finally, it was around 1am. He walked slow and lazy through the resort grounds snacking along the way then wandered out into the jungle. I took my final chance, dashed as quiet as I could to his side, unloaded a few shots then as he turned towards me I bolted out of there with the umbrella opened towards him. It's not the best shot I've ever taken, but given the pain and risks, I'm putting in on my site for sure! |