A pregnant tapir was killed in a road collision early this morning along the Philip Goldson Highway near Whitfield Estate, according to the Belize Zoo. With assistance from the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing, the animal was removed from the roadside. A necropsy later confirmed she was carrying a calf, making the incident a tragic loss of not one, but two of Belize’s national animals.
The Belize Zoo noted that this area has seen rapid development and widespread land clearing in recent years, leading to a rise in wildlife-vehicle collisions. Similar incidents have occurred in the past, including the death of a tapir calf in the same area in September 2015.
Tapirs are endangered and hold national significance in Belize, making their protection a matter of both environmental and cultural importance.