I added this image along with a couple of others of Bronx Zoo's tapir enclosure beacuse i think it perfectly highlights a stunning to look at but relatively poor for the animal enclosures. To me this is not much removed from the typical bear pits people so readily critise. Not only is this animal starred down on by thousands of visitors it also has in view inaccessible seemingly perfect habitat to retreat in to.
The image does not show the large pool that is perhaps 50% of the animal space. We are looking at a beach. If the tapirs had access to the "jungle" in JungleWorld, they would destroy it. Not that planted tapir exhibits are impossible, just that this landscape was not designed to survive tapirs.
wow! that looks amazing. unfortunately if this is about the extent of the land space then i have to whole heartedly agree with mark77 and disagree with zooplantman. based on land to water ratios, most zoos would suggest that tapir are 80% aquatic. but they are not hippo. they are not even 50% aquatic. they are land animals. in asia most zoos give them a small pool and a large paddock/pen. its actually much more in line with the way they live in the wild. if you want to see a really bad tapir exhibit - look up the photos of the poor guy at taronga zoo. he lives in an otter exhibit.