Dianne Quayle, age 10, of Royal Oak, B.C., for her questions

Where is the home of the tapir?

You might mistake the tapir for a sizeable wild pig   which would be very insulting. For the chunky fellow is actually related to the noble horse. He loves the warm regions of the world and is almost always found near streams and rivers, for he is quite a swimrrlsr.

There are tapirs in South America. Some live in the bungle regions east of the Andes mountains and some live higher up near the lofty peaks. There are also tapirs in Central America. All these animals begin life with coats of striped yellow but when grown up they are plain dark brown. There are Old World tapirs in the Malay Peninsula and in Sumatra. These fellows are gaily piebald in black and white, All tapirs feed on leaves, fruit and all sorts of salad food.