A herd of tapirs is found in a southern jungle

A herd of 8 Asian tapirs has been found in a jungle on Banthad Mountain straddling Trang and Phatthalung provinces.

Sutham Suthawatpong, head of the Khao Chong Wildlife Conservation Station, said tapir is now an endangered species and therefore the herd of 8 found in that area is a precious resource which must be protected.

Mr. Sutham said the number of wildlife on Banthad Mountain areas is reducing mainly because of hunting, forest trespassing and illegal logging.

He asked the people to stop destroying the forests and wildlife and start protecting them.

Tapirs are large browsing animals, roughly pig-like in shape but with short, prehensile trunks. Size varies between species, but most are about 2 meters long, stand about a meter high at the shoulder, and weigh between 150 and 300 kg. The natural lifespan of a tapir is approximately 30 years, and a single youngster is born after a gestation of about 13 months.

The tapir is named after a beast from Chinese mythology. A feature of this mythical creature is a snout like that of an elephant. It is said to eat people's dreams.