Living Fossils in the Shadows: Malayan Tapirs

All Creatures Podcast

Nature, Science, Natural Sciences

4.7 • 563 Ratings

🗓️ 26 January 2026

⏱️ 66 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Tapirs are one of the world’s most unusual mammals, often described as a mix between a pig, elephant, and hippo. Yet, they’re actually related to horses and rhinos. The Malayan tapir stands out with its striking black-and-white coloring, flexible mini-trunk snout, and surprising ability to swim and dive. Shy and mostly nocturnal, tapirs are rarely seen, which only adds to their mystery. Beyond their odd looks, tapirs play a vital ecological role. They’re known as “gardeners of the forest,” dispersing large seeds across vast areas as they move through rainforests and rivers. Tapirs are also ancient survivors. Their lineage stretches back more than 50 million years, making them true living fossils. Despite outlasting ice ages and mass extinctions, the Malayan tapir is now Endangered, with habitat loss, road collisions, and fragmentation pushing populations into decline. This episode was originally released in 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to an Airwave Media podcast.
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0:09.4	Rail travellers, platform paces, window gazers and armrest negotiators.
0:15.4	Have you heard?
0:16.5	The big railfare freeze is here.
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0:34.8	Pam, are you here to game with me?
0:36.5	In a minute, Ryan, but first, it's time to game with me? In a minute, Ryan.
0:37.9	But first, it's time to share what's happening on the 10 News podcast.
0:41.8	The 10 News is a kids news podcast for curious 8 to 12 year olds that even grown-ups can learn from.
0:47.5	What else is there to say?
0:48.9	That we cover everything from the Supreme Court in the war in Ukraine to Pokemon and Minecraft, and will
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1:01.1	Is it game time now, Pam? It's game time, Ryan. Let's go!
1:16.6	Over seven million different animals inhabit our planet. It's going to be a lot of fun.
1:18.6	And the taper probably isn't as familiar to some people, so happy World Taper Day.
1:23.6	What can they teach us?
	...

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