Asian Tapir

Tapirus indicus

Status: Endangered. The main threat to the Asian tapir is the destruction of their habitat due to deforestation in Southeast Asia.

The Sankai Ibutsu, a 17th century Japanese illustrated manuscript of mythical creatures described the baku as a creature from China. It was a chimera that had elephant tusks, rhinoceros ears, cow's tail, body of bear, and paws of a tiger. This in turn came from a description of a 9th century Tang Chinese poet Bai Juyi, who wrote of "mo" (giant panda) as a fantastical chimera creature consisting of various traits drawn from other animals, and it had the ability to ward against pestilence and evil. He even commissioned artists to paint this hybrid beast. With the similarities of marking and coloration of panda and tapir, and the chimera qualities describing mo, the creatures became conflated.

In later times the baku became further imbued with magical nightmare-devouring abilities. It was often depicted in Japanese woodblocks, temple carvings, and netsuke sculptures destroying evil dreams. If one has a nightmare, they may invoke the baku by waking and calling out "Baku kurae" (Devour Baku), whereupon the baku will come and feast, and in its wake the dreamer may peacefully return to sleep, freed from the nightmares. One cannot be careless about summoning the baku however, for if the dream is not enough to sate its appetite, it might turn on the summoner and also devour hopes and dreams. But for the most part the baku is seen as a benevolent creature.

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