Ethnoecology, Resource Use, Conservation And Development In A ...

seasonal food shortage, located by seven of these in the dry season. Seven of these
said that leaves form the majority of the diet during the dry season: some suggested
that fruit is the preferred food, and leaves a substitute eaten during times when fruit
is not available. One interviewee specified tooru leaves as the major dry season food.
Two respondents said that the fruits of wamooko and zudu (two species of
Parinari) were eaten during the dry season - one of these considered there to be no
dry season food shortage on account of the availability of these fruits. Eleven
interviewees said that seeds eaten by this species are dispersed endozoochorously;
one contradicted this answer, characterising it as a seed predator.
Twelve interviewees gave information on group size, all agreeing that tapirs are
solitary in most circumstances. Several of these added that groups of two (according
to five people) or three (according to a further three) may also be found, being either
mothers with dependent young or temporary associations of a pair of breeding
animals. Only three interviewees considered these groups to remain within fixed home
ranges - three miles in size according to one - as opposed to five who said they were
errant. Three interviewees mentioned that encounters between males are often
aggressive. All ten answers on litter size agreed that a single young was born, though
they did not agree on the timing - two said rainy season, one March, one November,
while three interviewees said there was no breeding season. One interviewee stated
the gestation period to be one year.
Seven interviewees described the activity pattern as being nocturnal, two of
whom added that during the rainy season they might also be active during the day.
One interviewee contradicted this, saying they could be active at any time. Eight
described similar forms of resting place: six said a fallen tree, one of these added that
they also rest by riverbanks and another that they rest in thick bush generally, the
latter answer being corroborated by the two remaining respondents. Six interviewees
mentioned their need for bathing places, three of these and one other saying they are
found mainly in the vicinity of rivers.
Two interviewees said kodoi have no predators, but seven identified jaguars as
predators while puma and water camoudi were each mentioned twice. In two cases,
interviewees specified that these predators could kill young tapirs but not adults.
Three interviewees mentioned a predator called kodoi din (tapir hunter), which
appears to be a mythical animal. Two interviewees mentioned a relationship that
tapirs have with an insectivorous bird - named as kodoi chizan by one - which
cleans it of ticks.