It heads for the nearest stream at top speed , crashing through the jungle like a runway locomotive. If a tapir is victorious in the race against its for, it plunges into the water and swim s swiftly away, often beneath the surface . instinctively it knows that deep water is its best protection against the hostile forces of the jungle
Except during the mating season , the papir prefers to live alone. Sometimes it gets enough courage to raid the gardens of natives living in a jungle clearing. There are even reports that tapirs have been tamed. But for the most part the tapir spends its life alone near friendly water.