The Asian, or Malayan, tapir is the largest and most evolutionarily distinct of the four living species of tapir. It is also the only surviving Old World species. It is characterised by its long, fleshy, prehensile nose and distinctive black and white colouration which apparently breaks up the outline of the body in the gloom of the forests in which it lives. Formerly ranging across Southeast Asia, the tapir today exists as a series of isolated populations, the largest of which are in Malaysia. Habitat destruction is largely responsible for historical declines of this species, and continues to be the main threat today. Hunting, a relatively minor threat in the past, is also becoming more of a concern; as other preferred prey species are becoming more depleted hunters are increasingly looking towards tapirs as a food source.