The Largest Continental Mammal Has Reappeared After 100 Years, and Scientists Are Calling It a Historic Event
January 23, 2025 | Source: El Adelantado de Segovia | by Raquel
The cameras of Rio de Janeiro’s State Institute of Environment (INEA) have caught a truly wild moment for Brazilian biodiversity: the South American tapir (Tapirus terrestris), South America’s largest land mammal, has made its grand reappearance in the Costa Verde region.
The rediscovery of a giant: a century-long wait ends
According to Revista Fórum, citing Agência Brasil, a treasure trove of 108 images and videos shows three tapirs —one being a female with her calf— wandering through the lush greenery of the Atlantic Forest in Cunhambebe State Park (PEC). This conservation unit, spanning a massive 38,000 hectares and established in 2008, is a sanctuary for endangered species and covers parts of Angra dos Reis, Rio Claro, Itaguaí, and Mangaratiba. An animal that was thought extinct ended up being to shy for cameras and human contact. It’s a comeback that’s as monumental as the mammal itself!