The Detection Rate Of Malayan Tapir In Relation To Vegetation And Landscape Attributes At North Selangor Peat Swamp Forest, Peninsular Malaysia

Malayan tapir (Tapirus indicus) is a Southeast Asia megafauna species that is at risk of extinction due to habitat loss and fragmentation. Forests in Southeast Asia are being extensively cleared for rubber, oil palm plantation and other cropland, therefore limited suitable habitat is available for a viable population of Malayan tapir. We assessed the North Selangor Peat Swamp Forest (NSPSF) potentially as a suitable habitat for Malayan tapir and detailed some of the species’ habitat selection. To estimate the Malayan tapir occurrence, the presence and absence data were analysed using the Bayesian Single-Season Occupancy model, while the Regression-based model was used to determine factors of habitat selection on the R platform. We detected Malayan tapir in 49.5% of camera trap sites. Canopy cover, number of standing trees and wild palm show significant correlation with the detection of Malayan tapirs. Our data also revealed that distance to rivers and main roads influences the detection rate with tapirs recorded more frequently in close proximity to rivers and far from main roads. NSPSF is not listed as the critical habitat of Malayan tapir in Peninsular Malaysia. This study suggests that preserving the NSPSF to conserve biodiversity should be a priority in the future.