A Range-Wide Status Analysis of Lowland Tapir (Tapirus terrestris) and White-lipped Peccary (Tayassu pecari): Preliminary Results for Lowland Tapirs and Conservation Implications

TABER, ANDREW; OTROS, 45 AUTORES; VARELA, DIEGO

Buenos Aires-Argentina

Simposio; Third International Tapir Symposium; 2006

IUCN Tapir Specialist Group y Fundación Temaikén

This ongoing project is a key component (Action 12) of the goal of developing National Action Plans for tapir conservation and management for all range countries in the 2004-2005 TSG Plan for Action that came out of the Second International Tapir Symposium in Panama. This exercise is being jointly undertaken by the Pigs, Peccaries and Hippos Specialist Groups (PPHSG) of the IUCN/SSC, with technical GIS support from the Wildlife Conservation Society. Early in 2004, members of both specialist groups, and other experts, met and determined to undertake this task jointly for both species. Given that there is a large overlap in the pool of experts for both species, this was an opportunity to combine efforts and thus provide a cost savings to both groups. In addition, it was felt that since the two species’ ranges overlap enormously and they are ecologically similar, as large terrestrial herbivores and frugivores, we hoped this would provide an opportunity to compare and contrast threats and conservation needs in hopes of identifying opportunities for synergies between both groups. From September 2004 to April 2005 data forms and maps filled out by the experts were compiled and merged into a geographical information system. In total, 43 experts contributed data on tapirs. In April a workshop was held in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, where expert data on (i) historical range, (ii) areas for which expert knowledge were available or lacking, (iii) all points of presence over the past twenty years, (iv) current distribution and local status across ranges, and (v) key areas for conservation were reviewed and refined. In addition, conservation implications were discussed and prioritized. The current area of distribution for lowland tapirs was estimated in 11,174,262 km2. Four categories were considered: Stable (5,829,392 km2); in Rapid Decline (2,277,941 km2); Fragmented (3,040,838 km2), and Small Isolated (26,090 km2) populations. These and other preliminary results will be presented along with conservation planning implications.