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World Tapir Day
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World Tapir Day observed 27 April, is dedicated to raising awareness about the four species of Tapir that inhabit Central and South America and South-East Asia, and the wider threat to their habitats specifically, and the world's ecology in general. The 2008 observance is the first. The concept of World Tapir Day originated following discussion about ways to raise the profile of the conservation of tapirs, which, due to the relative obscurity of the four extant species of tapir, is relatively unknown. Despite their size, history and ecological importance, tapirs remain one of the least recognised species of animals. Tapirs inhabit jungles, grasslands, swamps and cloud forests, yet each is threatened by human activity - be that mining, palm oil plantations, roads or settlements. They form an important part of the ecosystem as seed dispersers, and form one of the oldest surviving genera in the animal kingdom. World Tapir Day is supported by the Tapir Specialist Group (TSG), a unit of the IUCN Species Survival Commission. The TSG is responsible for developing practical programs to study, save, restore, and manage the four species of tapir and their remaining habitats in Central and South America and South-East Asia. A range of activities is planned for World Tapir Day, including zoo-based education activities. Whilst World Tapir Day is designed in the first instance to raise awareness, it is also aims to raise funds for tapir conservation efforts. For 2008, World Tapir Day is raising funds for the Belize Zoo, established by Sharon Matola in the early 1980s. 
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