Tapirs are the largest native land mammal in South America. They’ve earned their nickname, the “gardeners of the forest”, because of the important role they play as seed dispersers.
Scientists believe tapirs might be the last potential seed disperser of plant species previously dispersed by other, now extinct, large mammal species.
They support the diversity of plant species by consuming a wide range of different seeds and then dispersing them, in their dung, across long distances. By dispersing seeds across disturbed forests, tapirs may also contribute to natural forest regeneration.
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