Happy World Tapir Day 2011

We love tapirs here at Splash Damage and have done so ever since they helped us with that thing with the guy at the place. Today is World Tapir Day, which is not only our favorite day of the year, but also raises awareness of the plight of tapirs around the world. Despite their immense snuffling skills, all of the tapir species are currently endangered, with the Mountain Tapir facing extinction within the next 20 years if things don’t change. Here’s how you can get involved.

Several zoos around the globe are hosting special events to celebrate World Tapir Day and its titular beasts, ranging from Adelaide Zoo‘s Breakfast With The Tapirs to being able to get up close and personal with Belfast Zoo‘s odd-toed inhabitants. For a complete list of this year’s happenings, head on over to World Tapir Day’s official Facebook page.

If you’re feeling charitable, please consider making a donation to the World Land Trust, which is once again this year’s beneficiary of tapir-based fund-raising efforts around the world. Based in the UK, the World Land Trust is dedicated to preserving endangered species and their habitats, and has so far purchased over 400,000 acres of threatened lands around the world.

Last year’s Trundle for Tapirs also makes a leisurely return, letting tapir fans everywhere get directly involved through fundraising. In a nutshell, you commit to walking or running a distance during the week World Tapir Day falls and let friends and family sponsor you. More details on Trundle for Tapirs can be found here.

Finally, what better way to end this post than with Bristol Zoo’s tapirs having a sunny swim? Gaze upon this: