THE MOST ENDANGERED TAPIR SPECIES IN THE WORLD. PROBABLY NO MORE THAN 3000 LEFT IN THE WILD.
THE ONLY WILD PERISODACTYL INHABITING THE ANDEAN FOREST
A FOCAL SPECIES FOR THE CONSERVATION OF ITS HABITAT
A KEYSTONE SPECIES THAT GIVES SHAPE TO THE ANDEAN FOREST
FACTS
THE PROJECT
In the high Andean Mountains of north western South America, there is a creature that persists inside the misty forest, regardless of the human pressures that had changed its landscape over the centuries: the mountain tapir (Tapirus pinchaque)
Mountain tapir ancestors arrived into South America, once the connection with North America was established during the Pliocene epoch (around 3 MYA). They developed adaptations for a living in the cold weather of the Andean mountains. Today mountain tapirs are facing what the scientists had realized is the sixth mass extinction in the history of life on earth.
Habitat degradation and hunting had impacted mountain tapir populations, dramatically reducing its population numbers to a level that had made them to be considered in danger of extinction.
Today, we ignore the reality of tapir populations regardless the work of some organizations and researchers over the last decades.
The present study represents the more recent effort to evaluate the population status of the mountain tapir in Colombia. It is an important step toward its conservation using modern tools that will allow us to gather and analyze key field data for the management and conservation of this tapir in the long term.
The goals of the project are mapping and delimiting remaining mountain tapir habitat and evaluating the effects of different threats on tapirs in the Colombian Andes.
Our methods are based on the use of camera traps to develop occupancy models that allow us to predict and corroborate the current distribution of the species in Colombia.
You can click over the dots and watch a video about the work we are doing in different parts of Colombia.
Our first approach to assess the current situation of the mountain tapir in Colombia took place at Los Nevados region, in the central Andes. We installed thirty camera traps that help us to collect our first photographs, depicting not only tapirs but many other mammal species like pumas, jaguaroundis and tayras, that conform the mammal community of the high Andean forest.
With all this information we are going to have the opportunity to begin to analyze the current situation of the especies in the north limits of its distribution.
Our next expedition is planned to take place in Chingaza National Park, near Bogotá, the capital of the country.
LOS NEVADOS
Los Nevados region is relatively isolated habitat patch inhabited by mountain tapir in the central Andes of Colombia. It represents the northern most limit of the distribution of the species in its entire distribution range.
Los Nevados region is fragmented toward the south by the Ibague-Armenia road, a very busy way that links Bogotá with the west of the country, where several important cities are localted (Manizales, Armenia, Cali, Popayán and Pasto). This habitat patch is probably one of the best studied mountain tapir sites in the country, and it represents a kind of field laboratory that can give us important information about the sustainability of tapir population in isolated areas.
As part of this project we had our first approach by late 2016 when we installed a set of 30 camera traps near Ucumari regional park in an area which is in a successional stage. Our preliminary results show a relatively high use of the habitat, not only by the mountain tapir, but by several other species, particularly the puma and some other carnivores.
The presence of top predators is a good sign regarding the health of the ecosystem if we consider that carnivores like puma rely on a good availability of natural preys inside the forest.
Videos
Images
CENTRAL ANDES CORRIDOR
One of the main habitat corridors available for the mountain tapir in Colombia, is the cordillera central corridor, that extends south of the Ibagué-Armenia road to the Puracé National Park region in the Cauca Department (State). Along this corridors there are three important national parks: Las Hermosas, Nevado del Huila and Puracé.
This corridor keeps several forested areas that have been away from human development in part due to the armed conflict. However, in recent times, after the demobilization of the main guerrilla group in the country, there is an important risk for the future of the Andean forest that still keeps those national parks connected and maintains the integrity of the corridor.
One of our goals is to evaluate the current status of the mountain tapir along this corridor, so our plan is to choose some sampling sites inside the corridor to collect field data. Our plan is to begin in the Puracé National Park, so at this very moment (May 2017) we are in the process of obtaining the permits to deploy our camera traps inside the park.
EASTERN ANDES CORRIDOR
The mountain tapir Eastern Corridor is one of largest refuges for the species in its entire distribution in South America. It includes the Sumapaz National park, near Bogotá, the capital of the country.
Sumapaz is the type locality for the species.
COLOMBIAN MASSIF
The Colombian massif is the place where the Eastern and Central cordilleras split apart. Is extends south to the Ecuadorian border.
The Colombian massif also connects the central and eastern mountain tapir corridors integrating not only the Colombian population between the country but those of Ecuador and Peru as a continuum.
LOS NEVADOS NP
CENTRAL
EASTERN
COL MASSIF
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FROM THE FIELD
Director
Assoc researcher
Field assitant
Field biologist
SubDirector
Diego Lizcano PhD | Director
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Sergio Sandoval-A BSc | Associated researcher | Communications
Sergio Sandoval is Biologist, working with large mammals since 1999. He was scientific director of the Tapir Preservation Fund. He likes to work on nature photography and art. He is currently member of the Tapir Specialist Group where he leads a Mountain Tapir Task Force with the main goal of updating the current state of knowledge about the species in Colombia. He also is investigating about the Mountain Tapir landscape connectivity in Colombia, with the goal to identify critical areas for maintaining gentic flow between mountain tapir populations.
Jairo | Field Assistant
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Diego Gutierrez | Field biologist
Nam scelerisque ligula quis nibh scelerisque, quis pellentesque augue porta. Vivamus gravida commodo mi at gravida. Nullam id tempor neque. Nullam sed metus a arcu ornare fringilla. Pellentesque vehicula in est quis lacinia. Curabitur lacinia eros vitae felis pellentesque, sed interdum est convallis. Ut ultrices arcu elit, ac volutpat sapien interdum vitae. Nullam condimentum porta nibh, a ornare velit euismod placerat. Etiam pulvinar vehicula pulvinar. Proin mattis placerat placerat.
Silvia Alvarez PhD | SubDirector
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Assessing mountain tapir populations in Colombia.
MOUNTAIN
TAPIR
CONSERVATION
PROJECT