Pekanbaru, Siberriau - A rare event occurred in the Flying Squad area, which includes the Tesso Nilo National Park (TNTN) in Pelalawan. This was the unprecedented appearance of a tapir.

Ashari, SHut, Head of Region 1 Lubuk Kembang Bunga, Tesso Nilo National Park, confirmed the tapir's appearance on Sunday (February 1, 2026).

"Yes, the video shows a tapir appearing, and it was uploaded on Sunday, January 25, 2026, at 6:30 a.m. WIB," said Ashari, as quoted by mediacenter.riau.go.id.

Asked about the tapir's gender, Ashari admitted that they did not yet know, as the video was recorded out of visual sight.

He admitted that the video was not recorded by TNTN officers, but rather by a visitor. It was first uploaded by the Instagram account Srwyn1, who was visiting the Flying Squad area, and then re-uploaded by the TNTN Instagram account.

"This is the first time a tapir has appeared there. The only other animals seen directly at the Flying Squad camp so far have been elephants, and other animals have only been seen from footprints around the camp," Ashari explained.

A video on the TNTN Instagram account stated, "Domang's friend, a different species, came to visit Onty Angkel with his distinctive monochrome coloration: the Tapir."

"That morning, out of nowhere, he suddenly appeared in the Flying Squad area. Perhaps he was curious and wanted to play with Domang, or just to make sure the forest and its rangers were safe."

"What makes this moment so special is that this tapir wasn't captured on a camera trap, but rather captured directly by a visitor to Tesso Nilo National Park. It was an unexpected encounter that surprised and delighted everyone, as tapirs are shy animals and are becoming increasingly rare in the wild."

"Its presence is an important sign that the forest still provides a habitat for endangered animals."

"Hopefully, tapirs will continue to thrive, the forest will be protected, and humans will increasingly realize that their existence is a trust that we must all care for. Stay safe, Tapir." (Mediacenter Riau/hb).

Source
https://mediacenter.riau.go.id/read/95159/momen-langka-tapir-berukuran-besar-muncul-di-.html