Rainforest Plants and animals
Many colorful birds also live among the canopy of the rain forest, and there are also animals that live on the forest floor. The tapir is a forest animal that looks like a large pig. It is actually in the same animal family as the horse and the rhinoceros. They live in South American and Asian rain forests, eating leaves, twigs, and fruit. Tapirs are the only one of the animals hunted by the big cats of the rain forest. Jaguars, leopards, and tigers are the largest predators of the rain forest. All of these cats have beautiful fur coats that have made them desired by hunters for years. The spotted coats of the jaguar and leopards were especially popular for fur coats. Today most countries are trying to protect their big cats, but many are still hunted illegally.